Esports World Cup 2025 Kicks Off in Riyadh With $70 Million Prize Pool, International Superstars and Global Broadcast
- Seven-week tournament features 2,000 players, 24 titles, and the top 200 Clubs competing in the world's largest cross-game esports competition, championed by global icons and EWC Ambassadors Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen
- Global broadcast spans 7,000+ hours of live content, second only to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in global sports history, with 90+ partners, reaching fans in 140 countries and 35 languages
- The broadcast premieres EWC Spotlight, a flagship series produced in partnership with global sports agency IMG; will feature over 50 hours of live content
- Star-studded Opening Ceremony includes Post Malone, DINO of SEVENTEEN, and Alesso, launching a summer of elite competition and entertainment in Riyadh
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) today officially opened the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the start of the world's largest esports and gaming festival. Running through August 24, the event features more than 2,000 elite players, 25 tournaments across 24 leading titles, and a record-breaking prize pool of over $70 million – cementing its status as the biggest and most significant esports event ever staged.
EWC 2025 brings together the world's top 200 Clubs to compete in a first-of-its-kind cross-title format. At the heart of the competition is the Club Championship, where teams accumulate points across multiple games to become the EWC Club Champion, claim a $7 million grand prize and hoist the coveted EWC Club Championship trophy. The $70+ million prize pool also includes $38+ million for individual Game Championships, $5 million in global qualifier rewards, and $450,000 in MVP bonuses.
Speaking at the opening press conference, HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman, Saudi Esports Federation, said: "We're immensely proud to welcome the world back to Riyadh for the Esports World Cup - an event that showcases the scale, ambition, and future of esports and gaming. This is a pivotal moment that will shape the direction of the industry for years to come. Hosting the EWC reflects our commitment to building a sustainable, world-class esports ecosystem. It demonstrates our belief in gaming as a force to connect, inspire, and create opportunity, while advancing our broader goals under Vision 2030 and the National Gaming and Esports Strategy. Esports is no longer niche - it's a global sport and a cultural force. And the Esports World Cup is its most unifying stage. We're honored to lead this transformation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
"EWC 2025 is about bringing the gaming world together—iconic games, elite players, and millions of fans around a shared celebration," said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. "Through new ways of global broadcasts, original shows, and documentary storytelling, we're opening doors, creating opportunities, and sharing esports in new and exciting ways. With record-breaking competition, this summer is special—not just for gamers, but for everyone who joins us."
Faisal bin Homran, Chief Product Officer, Esports World Cup Foundation, added: "The Esports World Cup is redefining success in global sport, unlocking long-term opportunities across the entire ecosystem for players, organisations and communities. At its core is the pioneering EWC Club Championship, a cross-game format that rewards all-around excellence, reshapes how performance is measured, and sets a new benchmark for what it means to be a champion in the digital age. As EWC 2025 begins, we look forward to seeing new champions rise and new legacies take shape."
To reach new audiences worldwide, EWC 2025 will produce over 7,000 hours of live content – second only to the Paris 2024 Olympics. The EWC will be delivered in 35 languages across 140 countries via 90+ broadcast and OTT partners, including some of the world's largest media platforms, such as FOX Sports (U.S.), DAZN (operating in a total of 16 countries), Eurosport, and NAVER (South Korea). In addition, all competition will be streamed live on Twitch, YouTube and TikTok, creating unprecedented scale and reach to redefine how competitive gaming is produced and consumed by fans worldwide.
EWC Spotlight, a new flagship broadcast series produced in partnership with global sports agency IMG, will air live every Championship Weekend from a custom-built studio in Riyadh. Hosted by Hugh Woozencroft and Rachel Stringer, the show blends esports action with pop culture, celebrity interviews, and exclusive behind-the-scenes access. Throughout the summer, more than 60 global stars will appear on EWC Spotlight, offering fans a front-row seat to the cultural crossover between gaming, sport, and entertainment.
The premiere episode of EWC Spotlight airs July 10 during the EWC Opening Ceremony, featuring live performances by Post Malone, GRAMMY-nominated producer Alesso, cellist Tina Guo, and a special collaboration by DINO of SEVENTEEN, Duckwrth, and Telle Smith of The Word Alive, who will debut the 2025 Esports World Cup Song of the Year, "Til My Fingers Bleed." Fans in Riyadh and around the world can look forward to unforgettable performances, fireworks, and a spectacular drone show lighting up the sky.
Throughout the summer, the Esports World Cup will also transform Riyadh into a citywide celebration of gaming culture, with community tournaments, fan activations, concerts, and pop-up experiences taking place across Boulevard City at the EWC Festival. Fans from around the world will gather to celebrate their shared love of gaming in what promises to be a historic moment for the global esports community.
This year, global icons Magnus Carlsen and Cristiano Ronaldo join the Esports World Cup as Global Ambassadors, bringing their competitive legacy and global reach to the world's biggest esports stage. Carlsen, the reigning chess champion, will also compete in the inaugural EWC Chess Tournament (July 29–31). Ronaldo's involvement underscores EWC's mission to unite sport and esports through shared values of excellence, dedication, and global community.
EWC 2025 is supported by a global coalition of partners, including (in alphabetical order): AlBaik, Amazon, Aramco, Barn's, Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib, Hilton, HONOR, Jameel Motorsport, Lenovo, OBSBOT, PepsiCo, Qiddiya, Secretlab, SONY, Spotify, and stc.
Over the next seven weeks, the EWC Club Championship will celebrate 25 tournament winners across 24 of the world's most popular titles, including (in alphabetical order): Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, Counter-Strike 2, Crossfire, Dota 2, EA FC 25, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Overwatch 2, PUBG MOBILE, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Rainbow Six Siege X, RENNSPORT, Rocket League, Starcraft 2, Street Fighter 6, Teamfight Tactics, Tekken 8, and Valorant.
For a full tournament schedule and more information on the Esports World Cup, visit esportsworldcup.com, and follow all upcoming Esports World Cup announcements on X.
About The Esports World Cup. The Esports World Cup (EWC) is a premier annual sporting event and global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. The competition features a unique cross-game format that pits the world's top esports Clubs against one another for the largest prize pool in esports history. Returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the summer of 2025, the EWC will bring gaming and esports communities together again to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion. esportsworldcup.com
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