In the last decade, the Esports scene has grown exponentially, so has the money involved in this medium. On April 16, the Esports World Cup Foundation announced that the inaugural Esports World Cup, set to take place in Riyadh this year, would feature a record breaking prize pool of $60 million across a variety of games. This mammoth amount crushes the previous record of 45 million USD set by Gamers8’s 2023 blockbuster event, The Land of Heroes.
Throughout July and August, fans will be able to enjoy 8 long weeks of intense competition in 20 events across 19 different games. These 20 events will have a combined prize pool of 33 million USD. An MVP from each of the 20 events will be given a 50,000 MVP Award. Over $7 million will be given out during the qualifying stage.
The CEO of Esports World Cup Foundation, Ralf Reichert, shared that the massive financing behind this tournament is a testament to their “investment in the future of global esports, a commitment to Esports fans who deserve exceptional events, and an extension of a mission to create meaningful competitive opportunities with life-changing prize pools for Esports athletes everywhere”. He also expressed his sheer satisfaction from the positive message this sends to Esports and gaming communities around the globe.
Some popular titles in the mix for the event include Apex Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, EA Sports FC 24, Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, Rocket League, Street FIghter 6, Tekken 8, League of Legends, etc. Mobile players can also have their fair share of fun with titles like Honor of Kings, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Free Fire, etc.