Esports World Cup to feature a record-breaking prize pool of more than $60M
The Esports World Cup, set to begin at the start of July, is a global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. The Esports World Cup features a unique multi-game competition structure that will pit the world’s top Esports players against one another, across multiple games for the largest-ever prize pool.
“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,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esports World Cup Foundation.
Saudi Arabia announced the Esports World Cup in October of last year as the successor of Gamers8, with the event set to take place in Riyadh and last for eight weeks. The event was founded as a part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, a plan led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at diversifying the country's economy.
The Club Championship, the innovative cross-game competitive format unique to the EWC, will see $20M split between the top sixteen clubs based on their overall performance across all titles. At the event’s conclusion, the organisation with the best performance across various game titles will be crowned the world’s first Esports World Cup Club Champion.
The remaining prize pool will be divided into three categories: Game Championships, MVP Awards and Qualifiers. Each of the twenty Esports will have their own prize pool with a combined total exceeding $33M. In addition, a $50,000 MVP Award will be awarded to a standout participant in each game. More than $7M will also be awarded before the tournament starts, as teams and players compete to qualify through eligible qualifier events run by partnered publishers and event organizers.
The EWC’s groundbreaking lineup of ninteen participating games consists of Apex Legends, CS 2, Dota 2, EAFC 24, Fortnite, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Overwatch 2, PUBG, PUBG MOBILE, Rainbow 6 Siege, ESL R1, Rocket League, StarCraft II, Street Fighter™ 6, Teamfight Tactics and TEKKEN 8.
Alongside hosting a high level competition, the EWC will transform Riyadh into an "epicentre for Esports fandom and gaming culture" with a massive festival being hosted. The festival will feature gaming activities, community tournaments, pop culture celebrations and much more.
