This year’s Kahoot! Cup brought educators and learners together from every corner of the globe—bigger, bolder, and more community-driven than ever before. What started as a fun international trivia challenge has officially grown into a global learning movement powered by passionate teachers and curious students.
A record-breaking year of global participation
The 2025 Kahoot! Cup welcomed classrooms from 76 countries, a remarkable 44% increase from last year. Whether teachers joined early in the morning or logged in late at night, the shared energy across time zones was undeniable.
Educator participation soared too, with 1,200 teachers registering (that’s 50 times more registrants than in years past!), reflecting the growing demand for playful, global learning experiences.
As one teacher, Harriette Smith from St Paul’s Primary School in Karratha, shared, “Seeing themselves [students] on the leaderboard at different times and seeing all the different countries is an experience I honestly think they will remember forever.” That moment of global connection is at the heart of what makes the Kahoot! Cup so special.
The origin story: how Steve Auslander created the Kahoot! Cup
The Kahoot! Cup is the passion project of Steve Auslander, a longtime advocate for playful, engaging learning experiences and veteran Kahoot! Ambassador. Nearly ten years ago, Steve envisioned an event that could unite classrooms across the globe in real time, blending friendly competition with meaningful learning.
What started as a small, experimental tournament quickly grew into an international phenomenon, inspiring students and teachers to connect, collaborate, and celebrate knowledge together. Every year, Steve and the Kahoot! team refine the format, introduce new session times, and ensure that the event is accessible and engaging for learners everywhere.
Thanks to Steve’s vision and dedication, the Kahoot! Cup has become more than a game—it’s now a global tradition, eagerly anticipated by educators and students alike.
Classrooms uniting across continents
During this year’s live games, we saw:
- 442 classrooms join the action.
- Nearly 8,000 live players from around the world.
- A buzzing, pre-event Kahootopia! league with almost 200 islands and classes.
Plus, more than 5,700 students participated asynchronously through a special practice course featuring highlights from previous Kahoot! Cups. Not only were students able to compete and connect in the live game, but these assigned Kahoot! Courses helped teachers bring the excitement into weekly classroom routines.
Many educators described the Cup as more than a one-off event. Loan Thahn Phan from Vietnam captured it beautifully: “It’s not a game anymore. It’s like a tradition—something we’ve come to expect every year.”
And this year, that tradition came with a surprise twist: an all-new bonus fifth session, co-hosted by special guest Kahoot! Krew Member Bjorn and all-star Ambassador Fiona. Now, the Kahoot! Cup sessions aren’t limited to western hours and timezones. With this co-hosting capacity, even more classrooms and communities were reached!
