Saudi Arabia Launches Esports World Cup 2025: “This Is A Legacy That Is Going To Last For Decades”

At the event attended by Arabian Business as well as global media, team owners, publishers, and players, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, President of the Saudi Esports Federation; Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation; and Faisal bin Homran, Chief Product Officer of the Esports World Cup Foundation, presented plans to expand on the record-breaking achievements of last year and build a sustainable, world-class ecosystem for competitive gaming.

A personal reflection: more than just numbers

Opening the event, Prince Faisal surprised the room by going “off script,” delivering a personal and emotional message about the deeper meaning behind the tournament.

He shared the story of a close friend of over 30 years who had recently passed away and how gaming had been a cornerstone of their friendship since childhood.

“Recently, I lost a friend of mine who’s been a friend of mine for 30-plus years. And I think back on our time together, gaming was a really large part of our time together, about our coming together as friends and our conversations. And that’s got me thinking a lot about legacy,” he said.

Reflecting on last year’s inaugural World Cup, which united 1,500 athletes, hosted 2.6 million visitors, and brought together 24 games under one roof, he called it a historic start, but just that: a beginning.

“We did something amazing in 2024 with the Esports World Cup, we brought together different games under one umbrella, which never happened before. We brought together 1,500 athletes, 2.6 million people visited our location, and it was the start of something big,” he said.

He described walking through the festival grounds earlier this week, seeing exhibits featuring consoles from every era of gaming, “every console I’ve ever played, every phone I’ve ever owned,” and being struck by how deeply gaming connects people across generations and cultures.

“We were walking through it yesterday. There’s an area that has the history of gaming, literally every console I’ve ever played in my life, almost every phone I’ve ever owned in my life. Bringing people together, bringing joy to people’s days, and doing something that will last for the next 100 years, not the next five or 10,” he said.

Prince Faisal also praised the young Saudi men and women working behind the scenes on the event, calling them “the real engine behind what we’re building”, and thanked Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his vision and support.

“This is a legacy that is going to last for decades. And I want to thank every single one of you, from you in this room today’s press, from the athletes, from the team owners, from the friends, families, the casters, the production team, the people cleaning the halls. Every single one of you has a part to play in this legacy. And that cannot be overstated. And I cannot thank you enough,” he said.

Scaling up — fast

Building on those remarks, Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, underscored how much the event and the industry has grown in a single year.

“When we started our mission was simple: gather the best players from the world’s top clubs competing in the best games for life changing prizes, our mission crowned the world’s best club as Esports World Cup champion in a unique cross game format, uniting the global gaming and eSports community in one meaningful moment. Last year showed us what’s possible when we put players, fans, clubs, publishers and partners first. This year, we’re back and see eSports reshaping our world,” he said.

The 2025 World Cup will see 2,000 athletes competing in 24 games across 25 tournaments, representing over 200 clubs from 100 countries, with more than $70 million in prize money.

New titles added this year include Fatal Fury, Crossfire, and Chess, highlighted by the presence of chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen as ambassador for this year’s edition, Reichert also highlighted the Foundation’s growing partnerships with major publishers such as Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, EA, Tencent, Ubisoft, SNK, Smilegate, and chess.com.

Broadcast reach has expanded significantly: coverage will span over 100 countries, in 30+ languages, with 7,000 hours of live tournament content, supplemented by a documentary series, EWC Spotlight, profiling players and clubs.

“It’s not just the games that are growing. The way we reach fans is expanding to making this the biggest broadcast to date, with coverage in 30-plus languages, 100 countries and nearly 100 media partners, from Twitch, Tiktok, Fox and NBC, our athletes achievements will be seen everywhere across the world. We’re producing more than 7,000 hours of live tournament content and more than 50 plus hours of our new EWC spotlight storytelling, because eSports matters to millions of fans worldwide, and this extended content allows us to reach far beyond important portfolios,” Reichert added.

Building an ecosystem

Faisal bin Homran, Chief Officer of the Esports World Cup Foundation, described how the World Cup is supporting the development of a complete eSports ecosystem.

“This is more than just a competition. It’s a celebration of how eSports has come and went fully mixed. This year, we have 2,000 players from 200 clubs competing for more than $70 million, but tonight is not about only the stats and the trophies,” he said.

“At the EWC core, are the main four stakeholders, the games, clubs, players, and the best experience with fans. This is our foundation, and it defines who we are and why we are here.”

The programme this year had a focus on new markets like India and China. The Road to EWC, a global qualifier series with over 200 stops, ensures that the world’s best talent earns its way to Riyadh.

He shared the story of last year’s underdog champion, who barely qualified in the final round and went on to win the entire tournament – a story that inspired the creation of the Heroes Club, an initiative celebrating such standout players.

Aligning with Vision 2030

The World Cup is more than just a sporting event; it is also a strategic driver of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 — the Kingdom’s economic and cultural diversification plan.

By investing in infrastructure, hosting international tournaments, and nurturing local talent, Saudi Arabia aims to create jobs, boost tourism, and establish itself as a global hub of innovation and culture.

“What excites me most is not the size the event, but how we’re building it collaboratively, openly and with a shared purpose, with the support of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and our incredible city, Riyadh, we are creating lasting infrastructure, driving economic growth and building a genuine gaming ecosystem that thrives long after this World Cup ends,” Reichert concluded.