This summer’s groundbreaking event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, showcases a global dedication to the future of competitive gaming, as evidenced by the largest prize pool in esports history for over $60 million.
Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced the prize pool of the inaugural Esports World Cup (EWC) will be a life-changing sum that shatters the previous record of $45 million set by Gamers8: The Land of Heroes in 2023.
The Esports World Cup event will feature the world’s top clubs and esports athletes in 20 competitions, with more to be announced, throughout its 8-week schedule. The sizable reward represents a significant step forward in the Esport World Cup Foundation’s effort to grow the global esports industry while providing more sustainable career options for athletes and multidisciplinary esports clubs. It will also help support the EWC as a platform that draws the best athletes, teams ,and organizations together for an international celebration of esports excellence and fandom.
“Setting the record for largest esports prize pool is a remarkable achievement, but what I’m most proud of is the positive message this sends to the wider esports and gaming community.”Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esports World Cup Foundation, added, “More than $60 million is a testament to our investment in the future of global esports, a commitment to esports fans who deserve exceptional events and an extension of our mission to create meaningful competitive opportunities with life-changing prize pools for esports athletes everywhere.”
In addition to its focus on competitive excellence, the EWC will transform Riyadh into the epicenter of esports fandom and gaming culture with a massive immersive festival.
This festival will feature gaming activations, community tournaments, pop culture celebrations, international experiences, and much more.
The Club Championship, an innovative cross-game competitive format unique to the EWC, will award a total of $20 million to the top 16 clubs based on their overall performance. The Club Championship is a new format focusing on multi-game competitions, with each Club selecting the games they want to compete in. At the event’s conclusion, the Club with the best performance across various game championships will be crowned the world’s first Esports World Cup Club Champion.
The remaining prize pool will be divided into 3 additional distribution categories: Game Championships, MVP Awards, and Qualifiers. Each of the 20 Game Championships will have their own prize pool with a combined total exceeding $33 million. In addition, a $50,000 MVP Award will be awarded to a standout participant in each competition. More than $7 million will be awarded before the Game Championships start, as teams and athletes compete to qualify for available tournament spots across eligible qualifier events run by partnered publishers and event organizers.
The EWC’s groundbreaking lineup of 19 participating games consists (in alphabetical order) of Apex Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, EA Sports FC 24, Fortnite, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Overwatch 2, PUBG Battleground, PUBG MOBILE, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6 Siege, ESL R1, Rocket League, StarCraft II, Street Fighter™ 6, Teamfight Tactics and TEKKEN 8.
To celebrate this historic announcement, the EWCF has activated in Las Vegas to highlight the tournament’s confirmed games, marquee athletes, and the world’s best Clubs. To learn more about the Esports World Cup, click here and follow upcoming Esports World Cup game announcements on X. Additional information about the EWC Festival will be released at a later date.
SEEN IN IMAGE: The Esports World Cup premier was announced at the Global Sport Conference in 2023 attended by HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. – image courtesy of EsportsWorldCup
