The global cruciverbalist community is set to witness a landmark event as the World Cryptic Crossword Championship (WCCC) 2025 takes centre stage on Sunday in London, bringing together elite crossword solvers from across the globe in a battle of wits, wordplay and wisdom.
Organised by Extra-C, the WCCC is the first formal international championship for cryptic crosswords, offering a unique competitive platform for both seasoned solvers and promising newcomers.
With intellectual rigor at its heart, WCCC 2025 marks a historic moment for the crossword world—one that elevates the cultural and competitive stature of cryptic crosswords to the global stage, said a Press release.
The WCCC Team Championship, popularly referred to as the “WCCC World Cup,” will see top crossword solvers representing their country in a spirited contest of cryptic mastery. The championship is open under two eligibility categories.
The first includes Country Representatives, nominated by Extra-C based on outstanding past performances in national and international crossword competitions — each participating country fields one representative.
The second category is Challenger Participants, open to any crossword enthusiast who registers via ACAD Global and is present at the venue with a valid ID.
The competition unfolds in two key stages. In the Preliminary Round (Off-Stage), all participants—including Country Representatives and Challenger Participants —will attempt two cryptic crossword puzzles within a 60-minute window. Their performance will be evaluated on both accuracy and speed. The top scorers from different countries will advance to the Final Round (On-Stage).
In this phase, the finalists will cold-solve two cryptic grids in a quiz-style format, with no letters revealed. Winners will be determined based on their cumulative scores across both rounds.
The Top 3 winners will be crowned champions of the inaugural WCCC 2025, etching their names into cryptic crossword history.