The 2nd Annual Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025: Titles, Prize Pool, Format, Club Program, and Much More

Hey, esports fans! Big news—the second annual Esports World Cup (EWC) is just months away, and it’s shaping up to be the biggest event in competitive gaming history. Set in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and organized by the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) in collaboration with ESL FACEIT Group, this event is not just another tournament.

It's a multi-title spectacle that has officially replaced Gamers8, with the ambitious goal of crowning the world’s best esports club—all while dishing out the largest prize pool ever in esports history. Here's everything you need to know so far.

🕹️ Titles

The 2025 EWC will host 25 tournaments across 24 games—an increase from 22 in 2024.

✅ Confirmed Titles:

• Apex Legends

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

  Call of Duty: Warzone

• Chess (new for 2025)

• Counter-Strike 2

• Crossfire (new for 2025)

• Dota 2

• EA Sports FC

• Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (new for 2025)

• Free Fire

• Honor of Kings

• League of Legends

• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (includes Mid-Season Cup & Women’s Invitational)

• Overwatch 2

• PUBG Mobile

• PUBG: Battlegrounds

• Rainbow Six Siege

• Rocket League

• Sim Racing - Rennsport

• StarCraft II

• Teamfight Tactics

• Tekken 8

• Street Fighter 6

• VALORANT (new for 2025)

🔔 Additional titles may be announced as the event approaches.

Schedule:

💰 Prize Pool

The 2025 prize pool exceeds $70 million, up from $60 million in 2024, making it the largest in esports history.

Breakdown:

• Club Championship: $27 million

  • Winner gets $7 million

• Game Championships: Over $38 million

• MVP Awards: $450,000

• Qualifiers (Road to EWC): Over $5 million

📊 For context:

• Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason had $3M in 2024

• League of Legends featured a $1M prize pool

📋 Format

🎮 Game Championships:

• Each title has independent qualification formats

• Styles vary (e.g., GSL-style pools, playoffs)

• Some tournaments serve as qualifiers for global circuits

• Runs from July 7 to August 24, 2025, across multiple Riyadh venues (e.g., Boulevard City)

🏆 Club Championship:

• Cross-game point system (Top 8 finishes earn points)

  • 1st: 1000 pts | 2nd: 600 pts | 3rd–4th: 350 pts | 5th–8th: 150 pts

• Must place in at least two tournaments, and win at least one

• Tiebreakers based on more 1st-place finishes

• Clubs must:

  • Use a consistent name

  • Declare rosters by May 15, 2025

🕹️ 2024 Winners:

• Team Falcons: 5,665 pts

• Team Liquid: 2,545 pts

• Team BDS: 2,000 pts

🤝 Club Partner Program

Supports clubs with funding and exposure to grow the ecosystem.

Key Details:

• 40 clubs in 2025 (up from 30 in 2024)

• Selected from nearly 200 applications

• Funding: Up to $1 million per club, totaling $20 million

• Used for: Brand expansion, content creation, live events

✅ Confirmed Partners Include:

100 Thieves, All Gamers, Bilibili Gaming, Cloud9, Edward Gaming, EVOS, FaZe Clan, Fnatic, FURIA, G2 Esports, Gaimin Gladiators, Gen.G, Gentle Mates, HEROIC, JD Gaming, Karmine Corp, Movistar KOI, LEVIATAN, LOUD, MOUZ, NAVI, NIP.eStar, ONIC, POWR, REJECT, S8UL, Sentinels, T1, Team BDS, Team Falcons, Team Liquid, Team RRQ, Team Secret, Team Spirit, Team Vitality, Twisted Minds, Virtus.pro, Weibo Gaming, Wolves Esports, ZETA DIVISION.

Criteria:

• Registered business with multi-game rosters

• Strong competitive history

• Social media influence

• Applications ran from Dec 10, 2024 – Jan 10, 2025

• Final selections by Feb 28, 2025

🔍 Tencent E-Sports helped facilitate Chinese club applications.

🔄 Recent Updates

• Expansion: Now 25 tournaments, adding Chess, Crossfire, Fatal Fury, and VALORANT

• Partnerships: Secured long-term deals with Riot Games, Activision, Capcom

• Global Sport Conference: August 23–24, 2025, with 1,500+ industry leaders

📌 Additional Notes

• 📍 Location & Dates: Boulevard City, Riyadh | July 7 – August 24, 2025

• 🌍 Vision 2030: Part of Saudi Arabia’s initiative to become a global gaming hub

• 👥 Player Base: Over 2,000 players from 200+ clubs expected

If you're into esports, this is the event to watch. With massive stakes, new titles, and global competition, the 2025 Esports World Cup is shaping up to be one for the history books.