You’ve probably gotten wind of the Esports World Cup 2025, happening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from the 8th of July, 2025, to the 24th of August, 2025. This year’s edition involves approximately 50 organisations with participants from 84 countries fighting it out for fame, prize pools, and the final championship trophy.
But, understandably, not everyone knows what it entails and/or how to take part. Well, whether you’re attending the tournament or following from elsewhere, I’m about to take you into some of the event’s crucial details for better understanding.
What Makes the Esports World Cup 2025 Special?
There are plenty of aspects that make the 2025 EWC special. They include setting new records, renowned partnerships, and reexamining how esports is viewed globally.
- Pristine Timing
The event started almost towards the end of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and is scheduled to end a few days before the resumption of other major leagues—EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Serie A—where you can get free soccer predictions. As fate would have it, most sports enthusiasts aren’t occupied by any major leagues globally, diverting their attention to the largest esports tournament in history.
- Cristiano Ronaldo: the Esports World Cup 2025 Global Ambassador!
This year’s EWC has also grabbed much attention, after the unveiling of football’s greatest, Cristiano Ronaldo, as the global ambassador in June!
There’s no doubt the strategy has elevated the biggest esports event to a global scale, considering the football icon has 1,000,000,000+ fans spanning all his social media platforms. Furthermore, the collaboration merges traditional sports with the fast-rising world of virtual gaming to encourage a new clique of participants and enthusiasts.
- Record Prize Pool
The 2025 Esports World Cup boasts a record-breaking $70,450,000 prize pool, close to a $10 million increase from the previous year. The rise is largely attributed to broader Club Championship prizes and is distributed as follows:
- Club Championship: $27,000,000 is for the top 16 clubs derived from the general performance, while $7,000,000 is awarded to the 2025 EWC winner.
- Game Championships: $38,000,000 is broken down into individual EWC games. I’ll get into the games below.
- Road to the EWC Qualifiers: Upcoming esports teams and players will receive approximately $5,000,000. The amount should help those who want to partake in a future Club Championship forge their way.
- MVP Award: $450,000 is awarded to players who stand out in selected categories.
The staggering prize pool stamps the EWC as a globally distinguished sporting occasion. It also cements the Esports World Cup Foundation’s goal of progressive growth of the Esports community.
Games at the Esports World Cup 2025
The 2024 EWC was graced by 22 games. However, the 2025 edition has upped the number of esports games to 25, with some notable omissions—Fortnite and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III—compared to the previous year.
On the other hand, the foundation included four new titles, namely: VALORANT, Chess, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, and Crossfire.
The esports games with the biggest prize pools in EWC 2025 include Dota 2 (Riyadh Masters), Honour of Kings, Mobile Legends (Mid-Season Cup 2025), and PUBG: Mobile, each worth $3,000,000. Meanwhile, the lowest are Mobile Legends Women’s Invitational, Rennsport, and TeamFight Tactics, each worth $500,000.
In the end, the Esports World Cup 2025 will see 2,000+ players and 200 formidable Clubs squaring out for the biggest multi-game tournament in history!
Who Qualifies for the EWC 2025?
Every game within the Esports World Cup is picked through a unique qualification roadmap—from regional and international competitions to direct invitations and points-based ranking. In short, teams hoping to participate in the EWC tournament should demonstrate exceptional skills in various competitive stages before earning a spot at the global stage.
Some of the competitive stage leagues include the Call of Duty League (CDL), Apex Legends Global Series, and ESL Pro Tour for Dota 2.
Meanwhile, to get to the Club Championship, a team needs to manage top 8 positions in two competitions or more. And to qualify for the first place in the Club Championship, a team must qualify for first place in at least one competition.
Conclusion: Is the EWC 2025 A Hit or A Miss?
Well, the Esports World Cup is only 2 years old, having been officially established in 2023 by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. The initial edition held in 2024 drew plenty of controversy, including claims of ‘sportswashing’, but it was a success. It’s only right to regard the 2025 EWC—the second chapter—as a success, considering it has several improvements and increased attention.
There’s a lot to keep an eye out for, including the legendary teams—Falcons, Liquid, and BDS—who secured the top, 1st runner-up, and 2nd runner-up positions in the 2024 EWC. It’s only a matter of weeks before fans know the winner of the 2025 Esports World Cup. If you’re one of them, ensure you keep checking in for the EWC updates!
