The Saudi capital, Riyadh, is currently hosting the second edition of the Esports World Cup, which kicked off in early July and will continue until August 24. More than 2,000 professional players representing 100 countries are participating. The tournament, held in Boulevard City, boasts a total prize pool exceeding $70 million, making it the most valuable in the history of esports, surpassing the $60 million prize pool awarded last year in the first edition. Hosting this major event falls within the framework of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s strategy for gaming and esports, launched in 2022.
This strategy aims to create 39,000 new job opportunities and increase the sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product to $13.3 billion by 2030. Esports is one of 13 strategic sectors under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, as Saudi Arabia seeks to become a leading global hub in this field by attracting investment, empowering youth, and expanding its fan base. Faisal bin Hamran, CEO of eSports at the eSports World Cup Foundation, said that this year’s tournament has added new games and tournaments, increasing the prize pool to over $70 million. He explained that the prizes include cash awards for participating teams and players, as well as exceptional prizes and qualifiers.
The prize pool is distributed as follows: $38 million is allocated to the various game tournaments, $5 million for the qualifiers, and $450,000 is awarded to the best player in each tournament. This year’s Club Championship prize pool has also increased to $27 million, distributed among the top 24 clubs, compared to 16 in the previous edition. It should be noted that the Saudi Falcons team won the title in the previous edition.
The 2025 edition will include 25 tournaments in 24 different games, an increase of three games compared to last year. The most prominent of these are chess and Vital Fury, with the participation of a select group of international clubs and professional players. The Esports World Cup Foundation seeks to exceed the achievements of the first edition, which attracted more than 2.6 million visitors and achieved over 500 million views worldwide.
The Foundation also announced a $20 million financial support program for participating clubs. The funds will be distributed among 40 clubs, with each club receiving up to $1 million in funding. The program will support their marketing campaigns, enhance their brands, expand their fan bases, and produce creative content during the tournament.
Bin Hamran emphasized that this step falls within the Foundation’s vision to develop the global esports sector and support clubs as key partners in the event’s success. He noted that the support program is separate from the financial prizes allocated for the tournaments.
Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the largest esports World Cup reflects its commitment to achieving the goals of its national vision and supporting emerging sectors that contribute to diversifying the economy and strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a major destination for international sporting events. It will also provide new opportunities for youth and stimulate innovation in a rapidly growing global sector.
