There will be 20 tournaments at the Esports World Cup, covering 19 games.
The inaugural Esports World Cup (“EWC”), which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this summer, has an unprecedented total prize pool of more than $60 million, according to the Esports World Cup Foundation (“EWCF”).
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However, this staggering amount breaks the previous record of $45 million set by Gamers8: The Land of Heroes in 2023 and represents the largest prize pool ever given out at an esports competition.
🏆 $60,000,000+ 🏆 pic.twitter.com/lbSPvkBwm8
— Esports World Cup (@ESWCgg) April 16, 2024
Esports world cup
The Esports World Cup will feature the best Clubs and esports athletes in the world competing in 20 competitions (with more to be announced) throughout its eight-week schedule. The event’s historic prize pool matches its grand scale.
The substantial payout marks a significant advancement in the Esport World Cup Foundation’s mission to expand the global esports market and give athletes and multidisciplinary esports clubs more viable career options. Additionally, it will strengthen the EWC’s position as a venue that brings the top players, groups, and organizations together for a global celebration of esports passion and brilliance.
According to Ralf Reichert, CEO of Esports World Cup Foundation, “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.” He continued, saying, “More than $60 million is a testament to our investment in the future of global esports, a commitment to esports fans who deserve exceptional events, and an extension of our mission to create meaningful competitive opportunities with life-changing prize pools for esports athletes everywhere.”
The Esports World Cup, supported by the Saudi Arabian government, is one of the nation’s numerous efforts to enter the gaming and esports industries. The Saudi megaproject Qiddiya City and esports tournament organizer ESL FACEIT Group struck a five-year agreement earlier this month. Since the businesses’ 2022 merger, ESL FACEIT Group has also been owned by Savvy Games Group, a Saudi government-backed enterprise.
Dividing the $60 million pool
It’s interesting to see how the prize pool is divided. Esports organizations worldwide compete in a series of titles for $20 million in the Club Championship format. Under the format, “Clubs” or organizations will compete in multiple games, with the organization that performs the best across a chosen number of titles receiving the largest portion of the prize money.
Furthermore, the Game Championships make up the majority of the prize money. These tournaments include the Riyadh Masters in Dota 2, among many other stand-alone competitions spanning 19 games. There will be events for games like League of Legends, Rainbow Six, Fortnite, MLBB, Counter-Strike, Rocket League, PUBG, and many more.
The Esports World Cup Foundation estimates the total prize may exceed $30 million. The teams that advance to the events and the players who do well in the competitions will split the remaining prize money, which will amount to about $7 million and $1.1 million, respectively.
Additionally, the EWC will turn Riyadh into the hub of esports fandom and gaming culture and emphasize competitive excellence. It will do this by hosting a massive immersive Festival, including gaming activations, community tournaments, pop culture celebrations, international experiences, and much more. We will have more details about the EWC Festival available later.
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