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Esports World Cup draws unprecedented viewership, sellout crowds in first half of inaugural event

Esports World Cup draws unprecedented viewership, sellout crowds in first half of inaugural event
The Esports World Cup has attracted big live attendances during the firts half of the summer-long tournament. (Supplied)
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Updated 03 August 2024

Esports World Cup draws unprecedented viewership, sellout crowds in first half of inaugural event

Esports World Cup draws unprecedented viewership, sellout crowds in first half of inaugural event
  • Competition tops 177 million hours watched as more than 1 million visitors take in world’s largest esports and gaming festival in Riyadh
  • Tournaments featuring Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, League of Legends, Dota 2 set 2024 viewership highs as $16.5 million is awarded across nine out of 22 championships

RIYADH: The Esports World Cup, the world’s largest esports competition and festival, has entered the second half of its competition after drawing unprecedented viewership and live attendances for its inaugural event at Boulevard Riyadh City.

The Esports World Cup Foundation, the non-profit organization hosting the EWC, has announced a total of 177.5 million hours watched over the first four weeks, with a number of individual tournaments setting viewership highs. In addition, a total of $16.5 million of the event’s record-breaking $60 million prize pool has been distributed across nine of 22 total championships. The event’s daily festival has attracted more than one million visitors during the first half of the landmark event taking place in Riyadh, Ƶ.

“After four quick weeks, the Esports World Cup has already surpassed our highest expectations,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of Esports World Cup Foundation. “When we started this journey, our goal was to leapfrog the esports industry with a historic global event uniting the best games, players and clubs, and reach fans beyond the core esports enthusiasts, while tapping into the 3.4 billion gamers around the world. I’m proud that we’re well on our way to achieving that goal here in Riyadh with hundreds of millions of viewers at home, and over a million visiting onsite, shattering not only our expectations, but also a lot of 2024 esports records. The EWC has awarded more than $16 million in life-changing prize money so far, with millions more to come, including the ultimate prize — a share of $20 million across the Esports World Cup Club Championship at the end of August.”


Viewership and social highlights

Across the first four weeks of the Esports World Cup, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang registered the event’s highest peak viewership with nearly 2.4 million concurrents, the largest figure for any MLBB tournament in 2024. The game’s popularity extended to the MLBB Women’s Invitational at EWC, recording 2.5 million hours watched over its 34-hour total broadcast. With 265,117 peak viewers, it became the fourth most-watched event in women’s esports history. Mobile games in general have exceeded viewership expectations at the EWC, with Free Fire attracting more than 441,000 peak concurrents.

On PC, two popular multiplayer online battle arena games set high watermarks for viewership at the EWC. With 55 million hours watched, the Dota 2 competition was the most-viewed tournament for the game this year, while the League of Legends competition was the largest third-party tournament for the game in the past decade, recording 53 million hours watched and 3.4 million peak viewers (including China).

The EWC has attracted high engagement from fans across social media. Its accounts have collectively recorded more than one billion impressions, 270 million social video views and 58 million total social engagements, a testament to the event’s resonance among the global esports community and beyond.


Attendance highlights

During the first half of the EWC, more than one million visitors attended the massive on-site experience at Boulevard City in Riyadh. The festival venues alone have attracted 289,000 visitors, while the esports competitions have sold more than 60,000 tickets so far. The esports events are less than 3,000 tickets away from a total sellout with four weeks and 13 competitions still to come. The EWC day pass has sold out for the entire tournament, while the POWR Villa and Falcons HQ are fully booked through Aug. 17.

During Week 3, the EWC hosted international football superstars Neymar and Diogo Jota. As avid esports fans, both athletes took in the high-energy atmosphere around the Counter-Strike 2 event.

“Being here at the inaugural Esports World Cup is a truly amazing experience,” Jota said. “The organization and scale behind this event are truly impressive, even more than I anticipated. I’ve always believed in the potential of esports, even before starting my own team, and EWC is proof that this scene is evolving rapidly. This level of investment and infrastructure is exactly what esports needs to grow and reach a wider audience. I’m excited to see how EWC continues to evolve and push the boundaries of competitive gaming.”


Competition highlights

The EWC has already awarded $16.5 million in prize money across nine tournament championships and another $450,000 in MVP awards. More than $44 million in prize money will be awarded over the final four weeks of competition spanning the remaining 13 championships and the club championship.

Currently, Team Falcons sits atop the Esports World Cup club championship leaderboard with 3,500 points, 2,330 above second-place Team Liquid. The Club Championship, an innovative cross-game competitive format distinctive to the EWC featuring a dedicated prize pool of $20 million, rewards the top 16 clubs based on their overall performance. At the event’s conclusion, the club with the best performance across the 22 game championships will be crowned the world’s first Esports World Cup club champion.

The first four weeks have delivered a number of upsets and dominating performances. In the record-breaking $500,000 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational, Smart Omega Empress upset tournament-favorite Team Vitality to earn the top prize of $180,000. In the Overwatch 2 tournament, Crazy Raccoon rolled through the bracket, winning 15 of 17 maps played to take home the trophy and $400,000. And in League of Legends, global superstar Faker led defending World Champions T1 to a 3-1 victory over Top Esports, adding another international accolade to his storied career.


Closing weekend

The biggest weekend in esports history will take place on Aug. 24-25 as the inaugural EWC comes to a close.

On Aug. 24, the 2024 Esports Awards, the most prestigious night in esports, will honor the best in the business from every part of the world, celebrating clubs, athletes, content creators, games and more. Highlights from the evening will include the lifetime achievement mixer, red carpet event, esports village and the star-studded awards ceremony itself, which last year attracted more than 22 million viewers.

The second two-day New Global Sport Conference will begin on Aug. 24 as it unites leaders from esports, gaming, business, sports, and entertainment to explore “The future of fandom.” Thought leaders from around the world will discuss fandom’s impact on business planning, content, IP and media rights, marketing, and community-building. The speaker lineup to date includes: Prince Faisal bin Bandar, Ralf Reichert, Magnus Carlsen, Toshimoto Mitomo, Greg Norman, Maya Rogers, RJ Cutler, Dr. Songyee Yoon, Sir Leonard Blavatnik and Joe Marsh.

The weekend will conclude on Aug. 25 as the first Esports World Cup club champion is crowned and awarded its share of the $20 million club championship prize pool. The EWC closing ceremony will then welcome clubs, players, and fans to come together for a spectacular celebration, featuring fireworks, a light show and live music.


Basilisk’s Joona ‘Serral’ Sotala completes sensational run to seal StarCraft II Championship at Esports World Cup

Basilisk’s Joona ‘Serral’ Sotala completes sensational run to seal StarCraft II Championship at Esports World Cup
Updated 26 July 2025

Basilisk’s Joona ‘Serral’ Sotala completes sensational run to seal StarCraft II Championship at Esports World Cup

Basilisk’s Joona ‘Serral’ Sotala completes sensational run to seal StarCraft II Championship at Esports World Cup
  • Sotala overcomes challenge from 17 other players to win

RIYADH: Demonstrating elite concentration and consistency, Joona “Serral” Sotala from team Basilisk triumphed in the StarCraft II tournament at the Esports World Cup 2025.

Sotala secured a commanding victory in the grand final against Virtus.pro’s Kim “Classic” Doh-woo in a best-of-nine match. Sotala had already beaten Classic 3-0 earlier in the tournament, when the pair faced off in the group stage.

Showing consistent form and focus, Sotala had remained unbeaten throughout, losing only two maps in the entire tournament. Entering the grand final as favorite, Sotala delivered a display of precise control and dominance, winning 5-2.

Sotala said: “To be honest, after a 2-0 start, I was extremely confident. A couple of hiccups did not bother me too much. It feels absolutely fantastic, this is what I came for, and this is what I’ve got. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

Sotala overcame the challenge from 17 other players to win the tournament, claim the $200,000 prize and secure 1,000 Club Championship points for team Basilisk. It also marked Sotala’s third world championship title. He won his first at Intel Extreme Masters Katowice in 2022 and then won again in 2024.

Sotala added: “I improved a lot for this year. I trained hard, I put a lot of effort into it.

“This is the highest achievement you can get. I’m kind of speechless, just incredibly happy.”

The third week of EWC 2025 continues until July 27 with finals across Honor of Kings and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

For more information and tickets, including access to all tournament days and festival experiences, check out esportsworldcup.com.


Esports World Cup launches new social media channel

Esports World Cup launches new social media channel
Updated 25 July 2025

Esports World Cup launches new social media channel

Esports World Cup launches new social media channel
  • EWC_Extra is dedicated to real-time match coverage, community moments and behind-the-scenes content

RIYADH: As the 2025 Esports World Cup continues in Riyadh, the Esports World Cup Foundation has launched EWC_Extra, a dedicated social channel on X and Instagram focused on real-time coverage, community reactions and key moments from inside the arena.

Built for the community across EWC’s 25 tournaments, EWC_Extra features play-by-play content from tournament upsets and Most Valued Player performances to memes, creator posts and behind-the-scenes access.

In tandem with the main EWC channel, it forms a two-part content ecosystem to reflect the scale of the world’s biggest esports event. While the main channel delivers human stories and cultural context, EWC_Extra stays focused on the tournament action itself.

Running until Aug. 24, Esports World Cup 2025 brings together 2,000 players and 200 clubs competing in 25 tournaments across 24 games for a record-breaking prize pool of $70+ million prize pool. Backed by football legend Cristiano Ronaldo and chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, it is being broadcast in 140 countries.

Two weeks in, eight champions have been crowned so far.

Gen.G continued their winning streak to take the League of Legends title, Heretics won VALORANT in a dramatic reverse sweep, VK claimed Apex Legends with a final-game victory, and Redline defended their Rennsport title.

GO1 delivered a shock win over favorite Xiao Hai in Fatal Fury, while Team Spirit dropped just one game on their way to the Dota 2 crown. Team Vitality were unbeaten to take the MLBB Women’s Invitational and EVOS Esports triumphed in Free Fire, with 15-year-old wonderkid Rasyah securing the tournament’s MVP award. 


Emmy Award-winning director praises ‘mind-blowing’ esports growth in MENA region

Emmy Award-winning director praises ‘mind-blowing’ esports growth in MENA region
Updated 23 July 2025

Emmy Award-winning director praises ‘mind-blowing’ esports growth in MENA region

Emmy Award-winning director praises ‘mind-blowing’ esports growth in MENA region
  • Last year, the American filmmaker showcased the competition’s athletes and their stories in a five-part documentary
  • R.J. Cutler: ‘To see the infrastructure that’s been built is extraordinary, and everything around it is mind-blowing’

RIYADH: Emmy Award-winning director R.J. Cutler is no stranger to esports.

As part of the inaugural Esports World Cup in Riyadh in 2024, the American filmmaker showcased the competition’s athletes and their stories in the five-part documentary “Esports World Cup: Level Up,” streaming on Prime Video.

Cutler’s series delves deep into the lives of these elite players, revealing the dedication, skill and passion that drive them, offering a platform to connect with a global audience. 

During his visit to Riyadh, Cutler discussed the significance of the Esports World Cup.

“The Esports World Cup is incredibly impactful because esports is still new and emerging on the global stage,” Cutler said. “To see the way Ƶ and the Saudi people have gathered around the Esports World Cup is amazing, to see the infrastructure that’s been built is extraordinary, and everything around it is mind-blowing.”

By highlighting the human stories and showcasing Esports World Cup Foundation’s significant investment in the gaming and esports industry, Cutler believes the series is able to reach new audiences and showcase how the Esports World Cup is changing people’s lives.

“One of the things we hoped to do, and we were successful in doing, was making the show accessible to everybody whether you were a fan of esports, or not.

“It’s a human sport and that’s what we wanted to show (the audience), we wanted to reflect exactly what we experienced ourselves first-hand in Riyadh.”

Growing from a niche sport to a global phenomenon, the Esports World Cup had elevated the esports and gaming industry, added prestige, provided a global platform for teams and players to thrive, while fostering a community of passionate fans from across the world. 

“The cliche of what a gamer is, is totally defined by the Esports World Cup, it’s as broad a sport as any sport there is and with every single player you have a different extraordinary story, that’s what we see in Level Up,” Cutler said.

“Humanizing the esports industry was our whole objective, we tell human stories and we’re making real films. We want the audience to connect with other people and to project themselves into the scenario so that anybody playing games at home can think that ‘I could be there, that could be me.’

“The series showcases a full range of human stories, it’s character-driven, it’s emotional, it’s dramatic; we want you to laugh, cry and stomp your feet and in season one that was definitely happening.”

The Esports World Cup is a key pillar of Ƶ’s Vision 2030 initiative, and a significant part of the Kingdom’s national gaming and esports strategy, which aims to foster talent development, establish a world-class gaming and esports ecosystem, and support economic diversification. The goal is to create 39,000 jobs and contribute $13.3 billion to Ƶ’s economy by 2030.

The inaugural Esports World Cup was a watershed moment, as the world’s best players converged in Riyadh to compete across the most popular games and win their share of a record-breaking prize pool, but in 2025 things are bigger, better and bolder.

Competing for a $70-plus million prize pool, the largest in esports history, more than 2,000 players, from 200 clubs, representing more than 100 countries, have returned for the Esports World Cup 2025, competing across 25 tournaments and 24 games including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, League of Legends, EA FC 25, Rocket League, and PUBG Battlegrounds.

The event runs until Aug. 24, and is held alongside the Esports World Cup Festival, a celebration of esports and gaming culture that features interactive experiences, live performances, competitions and global cuisine, facilitating cultural exchange and showcasing Ƶ’s cultural heritage to global visitors.

For 2025, the prize pool has grown, ticket sales and visitor numbers have swelled, and its global appeal has increased exponentially, bolstered by the addition of Cristiano Ronaldo as the global ambassador and a live performance from Post Malone at the opening ceremony.

“There was a $60 million prize pool last year, more than $70 million this year, this incredible infrastructure has sprouted up around it, the passion of the audiences and those following all of the teams is amazing,” Cutler said.

“The Esports World Cup is something that you really have to experience to believe it.”


GCC Esports League wraps up second event

GCC Esports League wraps up second event
Updated 23 July 2025

GCC Esports League wraps up second event

GCC Esports League wraps up second event
  • Competitionlooks to strengthen competitive gaming in the region and provides potential pathway into Esports World Cup
  • Turki Al-Fawzan: These memoranda of understanding with our GCC counterparts mark a pivotal moment for the region’s esports ecosystem

RIYADH: The Saudi Esports Federation has concluded the second event of the GCC Esports League.

Held at the SEF Arena in Riyadh and presented by Korean automotive brand, Genesis, the league saw competition between elite players and esports clubs from across the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Turki Al-Fawzan, CEO of the Saudi Esports Federation, said: “Congratulations to all the incredible players who participated in the second edition of the GCC Esports League. This event has been instrumental in fostering the next generation of talent and showcasing the remarkable depth of quality among players from across the GCC. Ƶ’s unwavering commitment to the gaming and esports sector is not only transforming our region but also solidifying our role as a global hub for this dynamic industry.”

This year’s league featured competition across two fan-favorite titles: EA Sports FC 25 and Street Fighter 6, with a total prize pool of SR100,000 ($26,600), split evenly between the games. Representing their nations and highlighting the depth of emerging talent across the GCC, players from Gulf countries showcased their skills and talents in front of passionate fans at the SEF Arena and a global online audience.

Seven clubs representing six GCC countries competed in the EA Sports FC 25 tournament: Team Falcons from Ƶ, TriForce from Kuwait, Al-Nasr Club from the UAE, KHK Esports from Bahrain, Al-Seeb and Al-Nahda from Oman, and Alrayyan from Qatar. In a highly anticipated all-Saudi grand final, Abu Makkah took on Falcon Msdossary7, both from Team Falcons. With a dominant 12-3 victory, FalconMsdossary7 secured the title and reaffirmed his place among the top esports athletes in the region.

Nine clubs from six GCC nations participated in the Street Fighter 6 competition, including The Vicious and Twisted Minds from Ƶ, TriForce from Kuwait, Al-Ain Chess and Mind Games Club from the UAE, KHK Esports from Bahrain, Al-Seeb and Al-Nahda from Oman, and S-City and Team Mana from Qatar. The grand final featured a thrilling showdown between Twisted Minds’ Latif and Al-Ain Chess and Mind Games Club’s GTR. Latif secured a decisive 3-1 victory, marking an emotional and inspiring return to professional play after a seven-year break.

“Winning this tournament means a lot to me,” Latif said. “Coming back after seven years away from professional competition and proving that I can still compete and win against the best players in the region is an incredible feeling. This special win reminded me that age is just a number when you have the drive and determination to succeed.”

Beyond the competition, the 2025 GCC Esports League marked a significant step toward deeper regional collaboration, as the Saudi Esports Federation signed five memoranda of understanding with esports governing bodies from Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the UAE.

“These memoranda of understanding with our GCC counterparts mark a pivotal moment for the region’s esports ecosystem,” Al-Fawzan said. “Strategic collaboration is paramount to fostering talent development, launching impactful education initiatives and strengthening grassroots growth across the GCC, ultimately elevating the gaming and esports ecosystem on the global stage.”


EVOS Esports win Free Fire Championship at Esports World Cup

EVOS Esports win Free Fire Championship at Esports World Cup
Updated 21 July 2025

EVOS Esports win Free Fire Championship at Esports World Cup

EVOS Esports win Free Fire Championship at Esports World Cup
  • 15-year-old ‘wonderkid’ Rasyah ‘Rasyah’ Rasyid named MVP as team earns 1,000 Club Championship points

RIYADH: EVOS Esports have won the Free Fire Championship at the Esports World Cup 2025 after a tense final game that almost saw them finish in second as they did last year.

 

EVOS Esports were the first team to trigger match point in game five, but it was a nervous wait for them to claim the victory.

By the 10th and final game of the day, it was effectively sudden death. Either the team with the most points after the match would win, or one of the nine teams on match point would secure the trophy.

Having had championship point for five games in a row, EVOS Esports almost went out first in the final game of the tournament with just one player left standing.

However, some quick thinking and revives saw the team get back to full strength, and they would go onto a tense final battle.

Team Vitality and EVOS Esports were the final two teams in game 10, and both were on championship point, making it a winner take all fight. With an aggressive play, EVOS managed to get the upper hand and took the win in dramatic fashion.

The Esports World Cup 2025 is the last tournament EVOS Esports will play under their coach John Theo Eusebio. Paying tribute, the players recognized his influence on the team as they collected the trophy.

“I am proud of all of you guys,” said Aji “AimGOD” Apri Wicaksono to his team after the win. “Thank you all of you, thank you to our manager. We are so happy, we didn’t expect it at all.”

EVOS Esports players Rasyah “Rasyah” Rasyid, Wicaksono, Rayandra “Reyyy” Eka, M.Excel “Koceel” Putra overcame challenges from 17 other clubs to win a $300,000 prize and secure 1,000 Club Championship points.

Adding an additional accolade, 15-year-old Rasyid was also named the tournament MVP in League of Legends, winning $10,000 for his outstanding performances throughout the Esports World Cup 2025.

“I can’t believe this day,” said Rasyid. “As the youngest player in the EWC, I tried my best to be champion and I got it. I am the true wonderkid.”

The third week of EWC 2025 takes place until Sunday, July 27, with finals across StarCraft II, Honor of Kings and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.