The 2024 Esports World Cup (EWC) was the first edition of the Esports World Cup, an annual international esports tournament series run by the Esports World Cup Foundation, a nonprofit organization funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. It took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from July 3 to August 25, 2024 and was the world's largest esports event, featuring 23 events in 22 different video game titles.[1]
EWC had the largest combined prize pool in esports history at over US$60million, encompassing individual tournament prize pools, rewards for teams that qualify to events, most valuable player awards, and the Club Championship, a cross-game competition that aggregates the individual game results of all participating organizations (known as "clubs" to the EWC) to crown a Club Champion. The Esports World Cup replaced the Saudi Esports Federation's Gamers8 esports festival, which was held in 2022 and 2023.
The Esports World Cup was criticized as being used as a sportswashing tool by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to distract the esports community from its numerous human rights violations; commentators drew attention to the country's stance on LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, and its handling of dissent.
Background
In September 2022, Saudi Arabia presented the National Gaming and Esports Strategy (NGES), which aims to make the country a global center for the video game industry by 2030 in accordance to Saudi Vision 2030, a strategic plan led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the Saudi economy, create job opportunities, and reduce reliance on oil.[2][3] The NGES encompasses 86 initiatives spanning eight focus areas: Technology and hardware development, game production, e-sports, additional services, infrastructure, regulations, education and talent acquisition.[3] The Saudi government's goals include producing more than 30 competitive games in domestic studios, creating more than 39,000 new jobs in the sector, and becoming one of the top three countries by number professional esports players.[3]
Pursuant to the NGES, 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, which would be held annually in Riyadh starting in summer 2024.[4] During the announcement—which came during the "New Global Sport Conference" hosted by the Kingdom and attended by both senior government officials and leading figures in the sports, gaming, and esports sectors—Crown Prince Mohammad stated that: "The Esports World Cup is the natural next step in Saudi Arabia’s journey to become the premier global hub for gaming and esports, offering an unmatched esports experience that pushes the boundaries of the industry. The competition will enhance our progress towards realizing the Vision 2030 objectives of diversifying the economy, growing the tourism sector, creating new jobs in various industries, and providing world-class entertainment for citizens, residents, and visitors alike."[5]
The initial five game titles were announced on February 20, 2024, with additional events being added over the course of the next four months; the final initial titles—the 20th being Call of Duty: Warzone and the 21st being Modern Warfare III—were added on June 12.[6][7]Strinova was added as an additional title on August 1, 2024. In an article published in April 2024, American news channel CNN described the EWC as potentially being a "pivotal moment in the industry" following large scale layoffs by game developers and declining revenues for professional esports leagues; the article also noted that the event was part of Saudi Arabia's broader investment into sports, media, and entertainment amid allegations of sportswashing.[8]
The eight-week event took place in a 645,000 square foot (59,900 m2) venue in Riyadh's Boulevard City that featured four separate esports arenas: the SEF Arena (known as the Qiddiya Arena for sponsorship purposes), the 5V5 Arena (known as the Amazon Arena for sponsorship purposes), the BR Arena (known as the stc Arena for sponsorship purposes) and the Riyadh Festival. The stc Play Gaming Hall, also in Boulevard City, hosted last chance qualifiers for some games as well as the Strinova tournament.[9]
Format
The Esports World Cup encompassed 23 tournaments across its 22 competitive titles. Each tournament adhered to its own unique format and rules, while 22 of the tournaments contributed to a larger competition known as the Club Championship.[10]
Club Championship
The Club Championship was a cross-game competition within the Esports World Cup. The championship gave out a total of US$20 million among the top 16 clubs (used by the EWC in place of "organization"), determined by their overall performance in various games throughout the tournament. To qualify for the Club Championship, a club had to finish in the top 8 in at least two competitions, and to win the championship title, the club also had to secure first place in at least one competition. Only participants who were publicly announced as part of their respective organization before June 14, 2024 for most games, or June 28, 2024 for the Call of Duty games, were eligible to earn points for their club. Below is a breakdown of the points awarded based on placement in the individual game championships:[11]
The Esports World Cup Foundation's Club Support Program is an initiative designed to provide substantial financial assistance to selected esports organizations. Through this program, chosen teams receive annual financial support to enhance their operations and create more opportunities for professional players. A total of 30 esports organizations were selected to the Club Support Program, 22 of which were invited and 8 were admitted out of over 150 applicants based on past competitive achievements, future strategies, and approaches to fan engagement. As with all other competitors in the EWC, members of the Club Support Program must earn qualification for each game's event and the Club Championship, but they will remain eligible for annual financial rewards irrespective of their qualification status, as well as a one-time payment if an organization wants to enter new esports, particularly those who have a presence at the Esports World Cup. The rewards are contingent upon each member's capacity to enhance viewership and fan engagement for the EWC.[12]
The 30 teams represent the five major competitive regions — Europe, North America, Asia, South America, and the Middle East — with the majority of the teams being primarily based in Europe or North America.[12]
All Gamers: All Gamers acquired the roster of Stalwart Esports in Free Fire. In League of Legends, their division is known as Anyone's Legend. Their teams in the Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason as well as PUBG: Battlegrounds were known as All Gamers Global; two of the players on their King Pro League team, Yinuo and Cat, made the KPL Dream Team in the former.
Cloud9: Cloud9 signed BloodThirstyKings for MSC and Reignfall for MWI to enter Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. They also partnered with beastcoast in Rainbow Six Siege (forming Cloud9 Beastcoast) and acquired the New York Subliners for Modern Warfare III (who became Cloud9 New York).
FaZe Clan: FaZe Clan acquired Made in Heaven in Apex Legends. FaZe also has a Fortnite division but did not enter qualifying tournaments for Esports World Cup: Featuring Fortnite. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, they were represented by the Atlanta FaZe of the Call of Duty League.
Fnatic: Fnatic partnered with ONIC Esports in MSC for both their Indonesian and Filipino divisions; the Indonesian division qualified but did not score points for Fnatic.
G2 Esports: G2 Esports partnered with Invictus Gaming in Dota 2 to form G2.iG. In Rocket League, they are known as G2 Stride in a collaboration with Stride Esports. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, they represent the CDL's Minnesota RØKKR.
Gaimin Gladiators: Gaimin Gladiators initially partnered with Indostars in Free Fire. Since EWC rules state that a club may only have one partnership, their subsequent partnership with HomeGirls (the female division of HomeBois) for MWI was ruled as ineligible. The points earned by Gaimin Gladiators HomeGirls, therefore, were not added to Gaimin's overall total.
Guild Esports: Guild Esports acquired Serenity to re-enter Apex Legends. Their Counter-Strike 2 division was known as Guild Eagles after they acquired the then-unsigned Bad News Eagles roster. Guild would partner with R8 Esports for MWI, but failed to qualify. Whilst they also signed Dan "Stingray" Ray for EA Sports FC, he was released before the Last Chance Qualifier.
Kwangdong Freecs: In Tekken 8, both CherryBerryMango and ULSAN finished in the top 8 for Kwangdong Freecs, but only ULSAN's win earned them points in the Club Championship.
League of Legends: While the mentioned clubs have a League of Legends division, their position as a team not in the LCS, LEC, LCK or LPL meant that they weren't allowed to qualify for the Esports World Cup's League of Legends tournament.
Talon Esports: In League of Legends and Rainbow Six Siege, Talon Esports are known as PSG Talon in partnership with French football club Paris Saint-Germain. The team they sent to qualify for the Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason was known as Talon Esports ID; the main Talon team plays Arena of Valor and as such couldn't qualify for the tournament.
Team Falcons: In both MSC and MWI, Team Falcons had two teams qualify – Team Falcons (MPL MENA) and Falcons AP Bren (their partnership with AP Bren in MPL Philippines) for MSC, Team Falcons Vega (Indonesia) and Team Falcons Vega MENA for MWI. Falcons AP Bren scored points for MSC, while Team Falcons Vega scored points for MWI. Team Falcons also acquired the Apex Legends spot of DarkZero Esports by signing Zer0 and Genburten.
Team Liquid: Team Liquid acquired STUN.GG, owners of AURA Esports and ECHO Philippines, to enter Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Their Filipino division, known then as Liquid ECHO, earned points for Team Liquid in MSC. They also partnered with Team Gullit for EA Sports FC; ManuBachoore scored points for Liquid. In StarCraft II, both Clem and Cure finished in points-paying positions, but only Clem's win counted towards their Club Championship total.
Toronto Ultra: Toronto Ultra acquired Never Lucky in Teamfight Tactics. OverActive Media (Toronto Ultra's owners) had their Overwatch 2 division, the Toronto Defiant, change their name to Toronto Ultra for the tournament. OverActive Media also own MAD Lions KOI in League of Legends and Movistar KOI in Counter-Strike 2; it is unknown if they would've changed their names to Toronto Ultra had they qualified for their respective tournaments.
Twisted Minds: Twisted Minds partnered with Legends Gaming in Apex Legends. They also participated in the Strinova tournament, finishing tied for 3rd place.
Team Vitality: Team Vitality acquired ONSYDE Gaming to enter StarCraft II. Solar and Maru qualified for the SCII tournament and finished in points-paying positions, but only Maru's 6th–7th finish counts towards their Club Championship total.
Weibo Gaming: Weibo Gaming partnered with Wonton Dumpling in Apex Legends and Xtreme Gaming for Dota 2; the latter's points counted for Xtreme Gaming and not Weibo. Their team in the Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason was known as Weibo Gaming MY; none of the players on their King Pro League team made the KPL Dream Team.
Prize pool
The 2024 Esports World Cup had a prize pool of US$62.5million, the largest combined prize pool in esports history. The prize money was broken down into four categories: the Club Championship, the individual Game Championships, Qualifiers, and MVP Awards. The Club Championship awarded $20million to the top 16 teams based on their overall performance, while each of the 22 Game Championships had a combined prize pool of $33.8million. Teams earned a combined $7million during qualifying events, and the MVP of each event was awarded $50,000.[10]
The announcement of the 2024 Esports World Cup was met with a mixed response due to concerns over Saudi Arabia's human rights record and the tournament's use for sportswashing.[16] 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.[17] In June 2024, Team Liquid announced their intention to wear a Pride-inspired jersey at the Esports World Cup and were permitted to do so.[18]
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 many expressing support for their stance while others criticized the organization.[19]
In June 2024, the Esports Awards announced that they would hold a ceremony at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh in late August. The announcement was met with criticism from multiple esports personalities. Additionally, multiple stakeholders and personnel, including esports hosts Caleb Simmons and Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez, resigned from the Esports Awards panel.[20][21]
^Known as the Riyadh Masters 2024, part of the Riyadh Masters series and a stop on the ESL Pro Tour. 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. This tournament will use the ESL Featuring Fortnite Squads mode instead of Duos like in the Fortnite Champion Series, and the tournament is officially known as Esports World Cup: Featuring Fortnite.[13]
^Known as the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2024, part of the PUBG Mobile Global Championship.
^Tournament is part of the ESL R1 circuit. The results on top are for the Driver's Championship, which does not count towards the Esports World Cup Club Championship, while the results on the bottom are for the Team Championship, which does count towards the Esports World Cup Club Championship.
^This event is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Psyonix, and will be known as Esports World Cup: Featuring Rocket League.[15]
