2025 Esports World Cup Kicks Off In Riyadh With A $70M Prize Pool

Last Updated:July 11, 2025, 11:15 IST

The 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) launched in Riyadh with a star-studded ceremony. Featuring over 2,000 players in 25 tournaments, the event boasts a $70 million prize pool.

Representational photo. (AFP)

The opening press conference for the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) was held in Riyadh, signalling the commencement of the world’s largest esports and gaming festival. The event launched on Thursday evening with a star-studded opening ceremony.

Running until August 24, the festival features over 2,000 elite players competing in 25 tournaments across 24 leading titles, with a staggering prize pool exceeding 70 million U.S. dollars.

Speaking at the press conference on Wednesday, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, stated: “We are immensely proud to welcome back the world to Riyadh for the Esports World Cup. This event stands as a global milestone for esports by showcasing the scale, ambition, and future of competitive gaming."

The 2025 EWC unites the top 200 clubs globally to compete in a cross-title format, a pioneering initiative, according to Xinhua.

Central to the competition is the Club Championship, where teams gather points across multiple games to earn the title of EWC club champion.

Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, commented: “The 2025 EWC is about bringing the gaming world together – iconic games, elite players, and millions of fans around a shared celebration."

India’s S8UL, a leading entity in esports and gaming content, has officially qualified for the grand finals of Apex Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), and EAFC 25 at the upcoming Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 in Riyadh. With a record-breaking prize pool of $70 million (approx. INR 598 crore), the EWC 2025 is poised to be one of the largest esports events in history.

In Chess, Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram will compete in the Last Chance Qualifier from July 24 to 26, while Pyung Jae Koh (GuMiho) will participate in StarCraft II’s EWC 2025: Global Qualifier on June 21 and 22.

In the fighting games genre, S8UL’s Marcoantonio Malpica (Yurikov) will compete in Fatal Fury, and Arja Gamoori (Sephiblack) and Nino Schwarz (Nino) will participate in Tekken 8 qualifiers.

With IANS Inputs

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Location :

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

First Published:

News sports 2025 Esports World Cup Kicks Off In Riyadh With A $70M Prize Pool