2024 Esports World Cup

The 2024 Esports World Cup (EWC) is the first edition of the Esports World Cup, an annual international esports tournament series replacing the Gamers8 festival, run by the Esports World Cup Foundation, funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The event will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 4 to August 25, 2024, and will feature 22 events in 21 different video game titles. It will have the largest combined prize pool in esports history at over US$60 million, encompassing individual tournament prize pools, rewards for teams that qualify to EWC events, most valuable player awards, and the Club Championship, a cross-game competition that aggregates the individual game results of all participating organizations (known as "clubs" to the EWC) to crown a Club Champion.

The Esports World Cup has been criticized by some as being used as a sportswashing tool by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to distract the esports community from its numerous human rights abuses, as well as the country's stance on LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, and its handling of dissent. Some teams have opted not to participate at the Esports World Cup due to fears over the safety of their fans should they travel to Riyadh.

Background

In October 2023, Saudi Arabia announced the inaugural Esports World Cup as the successor of Gamers8, the Saudi Esports Federation's previously existing esports festival, set to take place in Riyadh. The event was developed as a part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, a plan led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at diversifying the country's economy and reducing reliance on oil.

The initial five game titles were announced on February 20, 2024, with additional events being added over the course of the next four months; the final titles, the 20th being Call of Duty: Warzone and the 21st being Modern Warfare III, were added on June 12. The events will take place in a 645,000 square foot (59,900 m²) venue in Riyadh's Boulevard City that features four separate esports arenas.

Format

The Esports World Cup will encompass 22 tournaments across its 21 competitive titles. Each tournament will adhere to its own unique format and rules, contributing to a larger competition known as the Club Championship.

Club Championship

The Club Championship is a cross-game competition within the Esports World Cup. The championship will distribute a total of US$20 million among the top 16 clubs (used by the EWC in place of "organization"), determined by their overall performance in various games throughout the tournament. To qualify for the Club Championship, a club must finish in the top 8 in at least two competitions, and to win the championship title, the club must secure first place in at least one competition. Only participants who are publicly announced as part of their respective organization before June 14, 2024, are eligible to earn points for their club. Below is a breakdown of the points awarded based on placement in the individual game championships:

Club Support Program

The Esports World Cup Foundation's Club Support Program is an initiative designed to provide substantial financial assistance to selected esports organizations. Through this program, chosen teams receive annual financial support to enhance their operations and create more opportunities for professional players. A total of 30 esports organizations, 22 of which were invited and 8 were admitted out of over 150 applicants based on past competitive achievements, future strategies, and approaches to fan engagement, were selected to the Club Support Program. As with all other competitors in the EWC, members of the Club Support Program must earn qualification for each game's event and the Club Championship, but they will remain eligible for annual financial rewards irrespective of their qualification status, as well as a one-time payment if an organization wants to enter new esports, particularly those who have a presence at the Esports World Cup. The rewards are contingent upon each member's capacity to enhance viewership and fan engagement for the EWC.

The 30 teams represent the five major competitive regions — Europe, North America, Asia, South America, and the Middle East — with the majority of the teams being primarily based in Europe or North America.

Calendar

Event winners

Prize pool

The 2024 Esports World Cup will have a prize pool of over US$60 million, the largest combined prize pool in esports history. The prize money will be broken down into four categories: Club Championship, Game Championships, Qualifiers, and MVP Awards. The Club Championship will award $20 million to the top 16 teams based on their overall performance, while each of the 20 Game Championships will have a combined prize pool of over $33 million. Teams will compete for more than $7 million during qualifying events, and the MVP of each event will be awarded $50,000.

Controversy

The announcement of the 2024 Esports World Cup was met with a mixed response due to concerns over Saudi Arabia's human rights record and the tournament's use for sportswashing. Saudi Arabia's significant investment in the esports scene, amounting to billions of dollars, has led to a rapid expansion of the industry within the country. However, these developments have occurred against a backdrop of ongoing international scrutiny regarding Saudi Arabia's human rights record, particularly concerning LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, and its handling of dissent.

In March 2024, esports organization Ex Oblivione announced their decision not to participate in the Overwatch 2 competition at the 2024 Esports World Cup. The team expressed concerns about the lack of necessary accessibility for all members of their community and the potential exclusion of their fans from participating in the event alongside them. This decision received a mixed response from their followers and the community, with many expressing support for their stance while others criticized the organization.

In June 2024, the Esports Awards, an awards show meant to honor and celebrate esports teams, players and titles, announced that they would hold a ceremony at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh in late August. This announcement was met with immediate backlash both from fans and Esports Awards personnel, with committee members and hosts leaving the organization.

Notes

References

External links

Official website