2024 Esports World Cup
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Esports |
| Location | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Dates | July 4–August 24, 2024 |
| Administrator | Esports World Cup Foundation |
Number of events | 20 events in 19 video game titles |
| Purse | $60 million+ |
| Website | esportsworldcup |
The 2024 Esports World Cup (EWC) is the first edition of the Esports World Cup, an annual international esports tournament replacing Gamers8, run by the Esports World Cup Foundation. The event will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 4 to August 24, 2024, and will feature 20 events in 19 different video games titles. It will have the largest prize pool in esports history at over US$60 million.
Background[edit]
In October 2023, Saudi Arabia announced the inaugural Esports World Cup as the successor of Gamers8, the Saudi Esports Federation's previously existing esports festival, set to take place in Riyadh.[1] The event was developed 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 and reducing reliance on oil.[2]
The initial five game titles were announced on February 20, 2024, with a 19th event in Apex Legends added on April 12.[3][4] The events will will take place in a 645,000 square foot (59,900 m2) venue that features four separate esports arenas.[5] The Esports World Cup will encompass 20 tournaments across its 19 competitive titles. Each tournament will adhere to its unique format and rules, contributing to a larger competition known as the Club Championship. For the Club Championship, each participating club can select the games they wish to compete in, and the club with the best overall performance across various game championships will be named the EWC Club Champion.[6]
Events and winners[edit]
Response[edit]
The announcement of the 2024 Esports World Cup was met with a mixed response due to concerns over Saudi Arabia's human rights record. Saudi Arabia's significant investment in the esports scene, amounting to billions of dollars, has led to a rapid expansion of the industry within the country. However, these developments have occurred against a backdrop of ongoing international scrutiny regarding Saudi Arabia's human rights record, particularly concerning LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, and its handling of dissent.[10]
In March 2024, esports organization Ex Oblivione announced their decision not to participate in the Overwatch 2 competition at the 2024 Esports World Cup. The team expressed concerns about the lack of necessary accessibility for all members of their community and the potential exclusion of their fans from participating in the event alongside them. This decision received a mixed response from their followers and the community, with some expressing support for their stance while others criticized the organization.[11]
Prize pool[edit]
The 2024 Esports World Cup will have a prize pool of over US$60 million, the largest prize pool in esports history. The prize money will be broken down into four categories: Club Championship, Game Championships, Qualifiers, and MVP Awards. The Club Championship will award $20 million to the top 16 teams based on their overall performance, while each of the 20 Game Championships will have a combined prize pool of over $33 million. Teams will compete for more than $7 million during qualifying events, and the MVP of each event will be awarded $50,000.[6]
| Category | Prize |
|---|---|
| Club Championship | $20,000,000 |
| Game Championships | $30,000,000+ |
| Qualifiers | $7,600,000 |
| MVP Awards | $1,100,000 |
Notes[edit]
- ^ Known as the Riyadh Masters 2024, part of the Riyadh Masters series. Both previous seasons of the tournament were part of Gamers8, the predecessor of EWC.
- ^ This event is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Epic Games. The information players provide in connection with it is provided to the organizers and not to the developers.[7]
- ^ Tournament is part of the Free Fire World Series.
- ^ Known as the Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason 2024, part of the Honor of Kings Invitational Series.
- ^ Known as the MLBB Mid Season Cup 2024.
- ^ Known as the MLBB Women's Invitational 2024.
- ^ a b This event is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Riot Games, but the tournament is officially sanctioned by the developers.[8]
- ^ Tournament is part of the PUBG Global Series.
- ^ Known as the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2024, part of the PUBG Mobile Global Championship.
- ^ Tournament is part of the ESL R1 circuit.
- ^ This event is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Psyonix.[9]
- ^ Tournament is part of the ESL Pro Tour.
References[edit]
- ^ Nordland, Jake (October 23, 2023). "Saudi Arabian Prime Minister announces Esports World Cup". Esports Insider. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Yaakoubi, Aziz (October 23, 2023). "Saudi Arabia launches Esports World Cup - statement". Reuters. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ Richman, Olivia (February 21, 2024). "Esports World Cup Reveals First 5 Esports Titles". Esports Illustrated. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ Jones, Lee (April 12, 2024). "Apex Legends becomes the last game to join Esports World Cup". Esports Insider. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Church, Ben (April 16, 2024). "Inaugural Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, worth more than $60M, hopes to send 'positive message' to industry". CNN. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ a b Takahashi, Dean (April 16, 2024). "Esports World Cup will have record-breaking prize pool of more than $60M". VentureBeat. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "No one saw this coming". www.instagram.com.
- ^ "Advancing the Esports and Player Experience in MENA". Riot Games.
- ^ "It's time to conquer the pitch". www.instagram.com.
- ^ Daniel, Tom (October 26, 2023). "Ralf Reichert addresses Esports World Cup impact and criticisms". Esports Insider. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ Sacco, Dom (March 29, 2024). "Ex Oblivione refuse to play in Overwatch 2 Esports World Cup". Esports News UK. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- 2024 in esports
- July 2024 sports events in Saudi Arabia
- August 2024 sports events in Saudi Arabia
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