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2024 Esports World Cup

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2024 Esports World Cup
Tournament information
SportEsports
LocationRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
DatesJuly 3–August 25
AdministratorEsports World Cup Foundation
Tournaments supervised by ESL
Number of
events
23 in 22 esports
Purse$62.5 million
Websiteesportsworldcup.com

The 2024 Esports World Cup (EWC) was the first edition of the Esports World Cup, an annual international esports tournament series run by the Esports World Cup Foundation, a nonprofit organization funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. It took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from July 3 to August 25, 2024 and was the world's largest esports event, featuring 23 events in 22 different video game titles.[1]

EWC had the largest combined prize pool in esports history at over US$60 million, encompassing individual tournament prize pools, rewards for teams that qualify to 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 replaced the Saudi Esports Federation's Gamers8 esports festival, which was held in 2022 and 2023.

The Esports World Cup was criticized as being used as a sportswashing tool by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to distract the esports community from its numerous human rights violations; commentators drew attention to the country's stance on LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, and its handling of dissent.

Background

[edit]

In September 2022, Saudi Arabia presented the National Gaming and Esports Strategy (NGES), which aims to make the country a global center for the video game industry by 2030 in accordance to Saudi Vision 2030, a strategic plan led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the Saudi economy, create job opportunities, and reduce reliance on oil.[2][3] The NGES encompasses 86 initiatives spanning eight focus areas: Technology and hardware development, game production, e-sports, additional services, infrastructure, regulations, education and talent acquisition.[3] The Saudi government's goals include producing more than 30 competitive games in domestic studios, creating more than 39,000 new jobs in the sector, and becoming one of the top three countries by number professional esports players.[3]

Pursuant to the NGES, 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, which would be held annually in Riyadh starting in summer 2024.[4] During the announcement—which came during the "New Global Sport Conference" hosted by the Kingdom and attended by both senior government officials and leading figures in the sports, gaming, and esports sectors—Crown Prince Mohammad stated that: "The Esports World Cup is the natural next step in Saudi Arabia’s journey to become the premier global hub for gaming and esports, offering an unmatched esports experience that pushes the boundaries of the industry. The competition will enhance our progress towards realizing the Vision 2030 objectives of diversifying the economy, growing the tourism sector, creating new jobs in various industries, and providing world-class entertainment for citizens, residents, and visitors alike."[5]

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 initial titles—the 20th being Call of Duty: Warzone and the 21st being Modern Warfare III—were added on June 12.[6][7] Strinova was added as an additional title on August 1, 2024. In an article published in April 2024, American news channel CNN described the EWC as potentially being a "pivotal moment in the industry" following large scale layoffs by game developers and declining revenues for professional esports leagues; the article also noted that the event was part of Saudi Arabia's broader investment into sports, media, and entertainment amid allegations of sportswashing.[8]

The eight-week event took place in a 645,000 square foot (59,900 m2) venue in Riyadh's Boulevard City that featured four separate esports arenas: the SEF Arena (known as the Qiddiya Arena for sponsorship purposes), the 5V5 Arena (known as the Amazon Arena for sponsorship purposes), the BR Arena (known as the stc Arena for sponsorship purposes) and the Riyadh Festival. The stc Play Gaming Hall, also in Boulevard City, hosted last chance qualifiers for some games as well as the Strinova tournament.[9]

Format

[edit]

The Esports World Cup encompassed 23 tournaments across its 22 competitive titles. Each tournament adhered to its own unique format and rules, while 22 of the tournaments contributed to a larger competition known as the Club Championship.[10]

Club Championship

[edit]

The Club Championship was a cross-game competition within the Esports World Cup. The championship gave out 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 had to finish in the top 8 in at least two competitions, and to win the championship title, the club also had to secure first place in at least one competition. Only participants who were publicly announced as part of their respective organization before June 14, 2024 for most games, or June 28, 2024 for the Call of Duty games, were eligible to earn points for their club. Below is a breakdown of the points awarded based on placement in the individual game championships:[11]

Point distribution per event[a]
Pos. Points Pos. Points
1 1000 5 110
2 600 6 70
3 350 7 40
4 200 8 20

Club Support Program

[edit]

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 were selected to the Club Support Program, 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. 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.[12]

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.[12]

Europe
North America
Asia
South America
Middle East

Calendar

[edit]
● Competitions days
July/August 2024 July August
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Apex Legends ● ● ● ● ●
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III ● ● ● ●
Call of Duty: Warzone ● ● ● ●
Counter-Strike 2 ● ● ● ● ●
Dota 2 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
EA Sports FC 24 ● ● ● ●
Fortnite ● ● ● ●
Garena Free Fire ● ● ● ● ●
Honor of Kings ● ● ● ●
Mobile Legends:
Bang Bang 		Men's ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Women's ● ● ● ●
League of Legends ● ● ● ●
Overwatch 2 ● ● ● ● ●
PUBG: Battlegrounds ● ● ● ● ●
PUBG Mobile ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Rainbow Six Siege ● ● ● ● ●
Rennsport ● ● ● ●
Rocket League ● ● ● ●
StarCraft II ● ● ● ● ●
Street Fighter 6 ● ● ● ●
Strinova ● ●
Teamfight Tactics ● ● ● ●
Tekken 8 ● ● ●

Results

[edit]

Event winners

[edit]
Event Gold Silver Bronze
Apex Legends
details 		Alliance
Effect
Hakis
unlucky 		Team Falcons
Genburten
ImperialHal
Zer0 		Luminosity Gaming
Fuhhnq
Sikezz
sweetdreams
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
details 		Atlanta FaZe
aBeZy
Cellium
Drazah
Simp 		100 Thieves[c]
Ghosty
JoeDecieves
Kremp
Nastie 		OpTic Gaming[d]
Dashy
Kenny
Pred
Shotzzy
Vancouver Surge
04
Abuzah
Breszy
Huke
Call of Duty: Warzone
details 		Team Falcons
Biffle
Shifty
Soka 		Fnatic
Almond
Newbz
Skullface 		Twisted Minds
Aydan
Knight
zSmit
Counter-Strike 2
details 		Natus Vincere
Aleksib
b1t
iM
jL
w0nderful 		G2 Esports
huNter-
NiKo
malbsMd
m0NESY
Snax 		Virtus.pro
electroNic
fame
FL1T
Jame
n0rb3r7
MOUZ
Brollan
Jimpphat
siuhy
torzsi
xertioN
Dota 2[e]
details 		Gaimin Gladiators
Ace
dyrachyo
Quinn
Seleri
tOfu 		Team Liquid
33
Boxi
Insania
miCKe
Nisha 		Team Falcons
ATF
Cr1t-
Malr1ne
skiter
Sneyking
EA Sports FC 24
details 		jafonso (Luna Galaxy) Young (Tuzzy E-Sports) PHzin (Al-Ula FC)
AbuMakkah (Team Falcons)
Fortnite[f]
details 		XSET
Cold
Edgey
Muz
Ritual 		Exceed
Kwanti
Meelks
Okis
Peterbot 		Heroic
Fredoxie
Hellfire
Kiro
Th0masHD
Karmine Corp
Anas
Malibuca
Merstach
SwizzY
Garena Free Fire[g]
details 		Team Falcons
COUGAR
COZQ
ONEMORE
ONFIRE
PETER 		EVOS Divine
AbaaaX
AimGOD
Bara
Geday
Reyyy 		Netshoes Miners
General
NANDO9
Proxx7
Raone7
Honor of Kings[h]
details 		KPL Dream Team[i]
Cat (All Gamers)
Chance (Douyu Gaming)
Fly (Rogue Warriors)
Fox (LGD NBW)
Hai (EStar Pro)
NoFear (JD Gaming)
Pang (Wolves)
Qing (Talent Gaming)
Rong (EStar Pro)
Yinuo (All Gamers) 		LGD Gaming MY
Jimmy
JR
Muskang King
Siang
Zhe
Zhihong 		Keyd Stars
0ne
Dani
Maynah
Niap
Supinão
ySacer
All Gamers Global
Lived
Myosotis
Qinglin
SNOW
Zaiz
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang – Men[j]
details 		Selangor Red Giants
Innocent
Kramm
Sekys
Stormie
YumS 		Falcons AP Bren[k]
FlapTzy
KyleTzy
Owgwen
Pheww
Super Marco 		Liquid ECHO
Bennyqt
Jaypee
KarlTzy
Sanford
Sanji
NIP Flash[l]
Diablo
Hades
JPL
KurtTzy
Vanix
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang – Women[m]
details 		Omega Empress
Amoree
Ayanami
Keishi
Meraaay
Shinoa 		Team Vitality
Chell
Cinny
Fumi
Vival
Vivian 		Team Falcons Vega
Chincaaw
Funi
Meylane
Thall
Violet
Victory Song Gamers
Gayleee
Kioway
Minun
Riyaan
Syncro
League of Legends[n]
details 		T1
Zeus
Oner
Faker
Gumayusi
Keria 		Top Esports
369
Tian
Creme
JackeyLove
Meiko 		Team Liquid
Impact
UmTi
APA
Yeon
CoreJJ
G2 Esports
BrokenBlade
Yike
Caps
Hans Sama
Mikyx
Overwatch 2
details 		Crazy Raccoon
CH0R0NG
HeeSang
Junbin
LIP
MAX
Shu 		Toronto Ultra
MER1T
Rupal
SOMEONE
Sugarfree
Vega 		Team Falcons
ChiYo
Fielder
Hanbin
Proper
SirMajed
smurf
Stalk3r
ZETA DIVISION
AlphaYi
BERNAR
Fearless
FINN
Flora
Viol2t
PUBG: Battlegrounds[o]
details 		Soniqs
hwinn
Kickstart
Shrimzy
TGLTN 		Petrichor Road
Aixleft
AZ
Cui71
Ming
Summer 		FaZe Clan
curexi
Gustav
Fexx
Jeemzz
PUBG Mobile[p]
details 		Alpha7 Esports
Carrilho
Mafioso
Magrelin
Revo 		Reject
Devine
Duelo
Reiji
SaRa 		Tianba
GGBond
Long
Lyu
Qzzz
Rainbow Six Siege
details 		Team BDS
BriD
LikEfac
Shaiiko
Solotov
Yuzus 		w7m esports
d4sh
Dodez
Dotz
L0BIN
volpz 		Team Liquid
Lagonis
Maia
Nesk
Paluh
resetz
Furia Esports
FelipoX
HerdsZ
Jv92
Kheyze
nade
Rennsport[q]
details 		Kevin Siggy (Team Redline) Sebastian Job (Team Redline) Maximilian Benecke (MOUZ)
Team Redline
Jeffery Rietveld
Kevin Siggy
Luke Bennett
Sebastian Job 		Team Vitality
Erhan Jajovski
Jiri Toman
Marcell Csincsik
Thibault Cazaubon
 MOUZ
Christopher Dambietz
Maximilian Benecke
Moritz Löhner
Yuri Kasdorp
Rocket League[r]
details 		Team BDS
dralii
ExoTiiK
M0nkey M00n 		Team Falcons
Kiileerrz
Rw9
trk511 		Gen.G Mobil1 Racing
ApparentlyJack
Chronic
Firstkiller
G2 Stride
Atomic
Daniel
nass
StarCraft II[s]
details 		Clem (Team Liquid) Serral (BASILISK) Dark (Talon Esports)
herO (Weibo Gaming)
Street Fighter 6
details 		Xiao Hai (KuaiShow Gaming) Kawano (Good 8 Squad) Tachikawa (Burning Core Toyama)
gachikun (Good 8 Squad)
Strinova[t]
details 		MMR
Fan
ON
Rite
Xiaowu
yzii 		Super Shuai
BriBri
BTMC
Kariyu
lyr1c
Tuonto 		Nova Guardians
kept
Masuo
SKJsa2
SKJShinka
SoVault
Twisted Minds
ExiT
Fr4nky
Gwzh
Saint
Zimo
Teamfight Tactics[n][u]
details 		Wolves Esports
LiShao
Serein
Sheltie
YGQF 		T1
Binteum
Bobae
dunizuni
sCsC 		Team Vitality
K3soju
MilkK
Setsuko
torontotokyo
Twisted Minds
60second
Huanmie
RiYue
Snowy
Tekken 8
details 		ULSAN (Kwangdong Freecs) ATIF (Team Falcons) Yagami (Al Qadsiah FC)
Double (ZETA DIVISION)

Club Championship standings

[edit]
Key
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place or equivalent
Green Other points position
Blue Other classified position
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
White Did not enter (DNE)
Pos. Team CWZ LOL FF MSC CS2 DOTA2 MWI OW2 PUBGM APEX HOK R6 FN SF6 TFT MW3 EAFC SC2 REN RL PUBGB T8 Points
1 Team Falcons[FLC] 1 DNE 1 2 DNQ 3 3–4 3–4 17 2 11–12 DNQ 5–8 17–24 9–12 12–16 3–4 DNQ 7–8 2 11 2 5655
2 Team Liquid[TL] DNE 3–4 DNE 3–4 DNQ 2 DNE DNE 8 7 DNE 3–4 DNQ 17–24 DNQ DNE 5–8 1 DNE DNE DNE DNQ 2545
3 Team BDS DNE DNQ DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 1 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNQ DNE DNE 1 DNE DNE 2000
4 Team Vitality[VIT] 9 DNQ DNE DNE 5–8 DNE 2 DNE DNE DNE 11–12 DNE DNE DNQ 3–4 DNE DNQ 6–7 2 5–8 DNE 9–12 1650
5 T1 DNE 1 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNQ DNE 2 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 19 17–24 1600
6 FaZe Clan[FZE] DNE DNE DNE DNE 5–8 DNE DNE DNE DNQ 13 DNE 5–8 DNE DNE DNE 1 DNE DNE 11 DNE 3 DNQ 1470
7 Gaimin Gladiators[GAI] 21 DNE 8 DNQ DNQ 1 5–8 9–12 DNQ 4 DNE DNE 5–8 DNQ DNE DNE DNQ 12–18 DNE 12–16 24 DNQ 1280
8 Natus Vincere 5 DNE DNE DNE 1 DNQ DNE DNE DNQ 30 DNE DNE DNE DNE 5–8 DNE DNE 12–18 DNE DNE 10 17–24 1170
9 G2 Esports[G2] DNE 3–4 DNE DNE 2 19–20 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNQ DNE DNE DNE 12–16 DNE DNE 9–10 3–4 DNE DNE 1150
10 Kwangdong Freecs[FRE] DNE DNQ DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNQ DNE DNE 5 1 1110
11 Toronto Ultra[TOR] DNE DNQ DNE DNE DNQ DNE DNE 2 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 5–8 5–8 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 720
12 Twisted Minds[TM] 3 DNQ[LOL] 11 9–16 DNQ DNE DNQ 5–8 13 8 DNQ DNQ DNE 9–12 3–4 DNE DNQ 8–11 DNE 9–12 18 9–12 710
13 MOUZ DNE DNQ[LOL] DNE DNE 3–4 15–16 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 13–16 DNE DNE DNE 12–18 3 DNE DNE DNE 665
14 Fnatic[FNC] 2 5–8 DNE 9–16 DNQ DNE DNE 9–12 DNE 18 DNE DNQ 13–16 13–16 13–16 DNE 15–16 DNE DNE DNE DNE 17–24 660
15 ZETA DIVISION DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 3–4 DNE DNE DNE DNE 13–16 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 3–4 550
16 Furia Esports DNE DNQ[LOL] DNE DNE 5–8 DNE DNE DNE DNQ DNQ DNE 3–4 DNE 13–16 DNE DNE 11–12 DNE DNE 5–8 DNE DNE 395
16 Weibo Gaming[WEI] DNE DNQ DNE DNE DNE 7–8 DNE DNE DNQ 38 5–8 DNE DNE DNQ 5–8 DNE DNE 3–4 DNE DNE DNQ DNE 395
18 All Gamers[AG] 18 DNQ 5 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNQ DNE 3–4 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 12–18 DNE DNE 9 DNE 385
19 Talon Esports[TAL] DNE DNQ[LOL] DNE DNE DNE DNQ DNE DNE 6 DNE DNQ 13–16 DNE DNQ DNE DNE DNE 3–4 DNE DNE DNE DNQ 345
20 Gen.G[GEN] DNE 5–8 DNE DNE DNQ DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNQ DNE 3–4 DNQ DNE 335
20 Virtus.pro DNE DNE DNE DNE 3–4 17–18 DNE 5–8 DNQ 24 DNQ DNQ DNE 17–24 DNE DNE DNQ 12–18 12 DNE 23 DNE 335
22 Guild Esports[GUI] 4 DNE DNE DNE DNQ DNE DNQ DNE DNE 9 DNE DNE DNQ 25–32 DNE DNE DNQ DNE 6 DNE DNE DNQ 270
23 DRX DNE DNQ DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 4 DNE DNE DNE DNE 9–12 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 5–8 260
24 Cloud9[C9] 20 DNQ DNE 9–16 DNQ DNE 5–8 DNE DNE DNQ DNE DNQ DNE 17–24 DNE 5–8 5–8 8–11 DNE DNQ DNE DNQ 185
25 Spacestation Gaming DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 5–8 DNE 17 DNE 5–8 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 5–8 DNQ DNE 180
26 Team Spirit DNE DNE DNE 9–16 5–8 7–8 DNE DNE 27 DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE 90

Championship Notes:

  • Only teams who have qualified for the Club Championship are listed here.
  • A team may win the Club Championship by winning at least one event.

Club Notes:

  1. ^
    All Gamers: All Gamers acquired the roster of Stalwart Esports in Free Fire. In League of Legends, their division is known as Anyone's Legend. Their teams in the Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason as well as PUBG: Battlegrounds were known as All Gamers Global; two of the players on their King Pro League team, Yinuo and Cat, made the KPL Dream Team in the former.
  2. ^
    Cloud9: Cloud9 signed BloodThirstyKings for MSC and Reignfall for MWI to enter Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. They also partnered with beastcoast in Rainbow Six Siege (forming Cloud9 Beastcoast) and acquired the New York Subliners for Modern Warfare III (who became Cloud9 New York).
  3. ^
    FaZe Clan: FaZe Clan acquired Made in Heaven in Apex Legends. FaZe also has a Fortnite division but did not enter qualifying tournaments for Esports World Cup: Featuring Fortnite. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, they were represented by the Atlanta FaZe of the Call of Duty League.
  4. ^
    Fnatic: Fnatic partnered with ONIC Esports in MSC for both their Indonesian and Filipino divisions; the Indonesian division qualified but did not score points for Fnatic.
  5. ^
    G2 Esports: G2 Esports partnered with Invictus Gaming in Dota 2 to form G2.iG. In Rocket League, they are known as G2 Stride in a collaboration with Stride Esports. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, they represent the CDL's Minnesota RØKKR.
  6. ^
    Gaimin Gladiators: Gaimin Gladiators initially partnered with Indostars in Free Fire. Since EWC rules state that a club may only have one partnership, their subsequent partnership with HomeGirls (the female division of HomeBois) for MWI was ruled as ineligible. The points earned by Gaimin Gladiators HomeGirls, therefore, were not added to Gaimin's overall total.
  7. ^
    Gen.G: Gen.G's Rocket League division is known as Gen.G Mobil1 Racing, in partnership with the Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil.
  8. ^
    Guild Esports: Guild Esports acquired Serenity to re-enter Apex Legends. Their Counter-Strike 2 division was known as Guild Eagles after they acquired the then-unsigned Bad News Eagles roster. Guild would partner with R8 Esports for MWI, but failed to qualify. Whilst they also signed Dan "Stingray" Ray for EA Sports FC, he was released before the Last Chance Qualifier.
  9. ^
    Kwangdong Freecs: In Tekken 8, both CherryBerryMango and ULSAN finished in the top 8 for Kwangdong Freecs, but only ULSAN's win earned them points in the Club Championship.
  10. ^
    League of Legends: While the mentioned clubs have a League of Legends division, their position as a team not in the LCS, LEC, LCK or LPL meant that they weren't allowed to qualify for the Esports World Cup's League of Legends tournament.
  11. ^
    Talon Esports: In League of Legends and Rainbow Six Siege, Talon Esports are known as PSG Talon in partnership with French football club Paris Saint-Germain. The team they sent to qualify for the Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason was known as Talon Esports ID; the main Talon team plays Arena of Valor and as such couldn't qualify for the tournament.
  12. ^
    Team Falcons: In both MSC and MWI, Team Falcons had two teams qualify – Team Falcons (MPL MENA) and Falcons AP Bren (their partnership with AP Bren in MPL Philippines) for MSC, Team Falcons Vega (Indonesia) and Team Falcons Vega MENA for MWI. Falcons AP Bren scored points for MSC, while Team Falcons Vega scored points for MWI. Team Falcons also acquired the Apex Legends spot of DarkZero Esports by signing Zer0 and Genburten.
  13. ^
    Team Liquid: Team Liquid acquired STUN.GG, owners of AURA Esports and ECHO Philippines, to enter Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Their Filipino division, known then as Liquid ECHO, earned points for Team Liquid in MSC. They also partnered with Team Gullit for EA Sports FC; ManuBachoore scored points for Liquid. In StarCraft II, both Clem and Cure finished in points-paying positions, but only Clem's win counted towards their Club Championship total.
  14. ^
    Toronto Ultra: Toronto Ultra acquired Never Lucky in Teamfight Tactics. OverActive Media (Toronto Ultra's owners) had their Overwatch 2 division, the Toronto Defiant, change their name to Toronto Ultra for the tournament. OverActive Media also own MAD Lions KOI in League of Legends and Movistar KOI in Counter-Strike 2; it is unknown if they would've changed their names to Toronto Ultra had they qualified for their respective tournaments.
  15. ^
    Twisted Minds: Twisted Minds partnered with Legends Gaming in Apex Legends. They also participated in the Strinova tournament, finishing tied for 3rd place.
  16. ^
    Team Vitality: Team Vitality acquired ONSYDE Gaming to enter StarCraft II. Solar and Maru qualified for the SCII tournament and finished in points-paying positions, but only Maru's 6th–7th finish counts towards their Club Championship total.
  17. ^
    Weibo Gaming: Weibo Gaming partnered with Wonton Dumpling in Apex Legends and Xtreme Gaming for Dota 2; the latter's points counted for Xtreme Gaming and not Weibo. Their team in the Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason was known as Weibo Gaming MY; none of the players on their King Pro League team made the KPL Dream Team.

Prize pool

[edit]

The 2024 Esports World Cup had a prize pool of US$62.5 million, the largest combined prize pool in esports history. The prize money was broken down into four categories: the Club Championship, the individual Game Championships, Qualifiers, and MVP Awards. The Club Championship awarded $20 million to the top 16 teams based on their overall performance, while each of the 22 Game Championships had a combined prize pool of $33.8 million. Teams earned a combined $7 million during qualifying events, and the MVP of each event was awarded $50,000.[10]

Prize money distribution
Category Prize
Club Championship $20,000,000
Game Championships $33,800,000
Qualifiers $7,600,000
MVP Awards $1,100,000
Club Championship prize money distribution
Pos. Team Prize
1 Team Falcons $7,000,000
2 Team Liquid $4,000,000
3 Team BDS $2,000,000
4 Team Vitality $1,500,000
5 T1 $1,250,000
6 FaZe Clan $1,000,000
7 Gaimin Gladiators $800,000
8 Natus Vincere $600,000
9 G2 Esports $450,000
10 Kwangdong Freecs $350,000
11 Toronto Ultra $250,000
12 Twisted Minds $200,000
13–15 MOUZ $150,000
Fnatic
ZETA DIVISION
16–17 Furia Esports $75,000
Weibo Gaming

Response

[edit]

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.[16] 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.[17] In June 2024, Team Liquid announced their intention to wear a Pride-inspired jersey at the Esports World Cup and were permitted to do so.[18]

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.[19]

In June 2024, the Esports Awards announced that they would hold a ceremony at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh in late August. The announcement was met with criticism from multiple esports personalities. Additionally, multiple stakeholders and personnel, including esports hosts Caleb Simmons and Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez, resigned from the Esports Awards panel.[20][21]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ For events with no tiebreakers, 3–4 receive 275 points, 5–6 receive 90 points, 5–8 receive 60 points, and/or 7–8 receive 30 points.[11]
  2. ^ OverActive Media, who own Movistar KOI, will have its teams compete as Toronto Ultra for the 2024 EWC.
  3. ^ 100 Thieves represented the Los Angeles Thieves of the Call of Duty League.
  4. ^ OpTic Gaming represented OpTic Texas of the Call of Duty League.
  5. ^ Known as the Riyadh Masters 2024, part of the Riyadh Masters series and a stop on the ESL Pro Tour. Both previous seasons of the tournament were part of Gamers8, the predecessor of EWC.
  6. ^ This event is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Epic Games. This tournament will use the ESL Featuring Fortnite Squads mode instead of Duos like in the Fortnite Champion Series, and the tournament is officially known as Esports World Cup: Featuring Fortnite.[13]
  7. ^ Tournament is part of the Free Fire World Series.
  8. ^ Known as the Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason 2024, part of the Honor of Kings Invitational Series.
  9. ^ Representative all-star team made up of players from China's King Pro League. The clubs these players come from are listed in parenthesis.
  10. ^ Known as the MLBB Mid Season Cup 2024.
  11. ^ Due to a partnership, the points earned by this team go to Team Falcons.
  12. ^ Due to a partnership, the points earned by this team go to Ninjas in Pyjamas.
  13. ^ Known as the MLBB Women's Invitational 2024.
  14. ^ a b This event is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Riot Games, but the tournament is officially sanctioned by the developers.[14]
  15. ^ Tournament is part of the PUBG Global Series.
  16. ^ Known as the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2024, part of the PUBG Mobile Global Championship.
  17. ^ Tournament is part of the ESL R1 circuit. The results on top are for the Driver's Championship, which does not count towards the Esports World Cup Club Championship, while the results on the bottom are for the Team Championship, which does count towards the Esports World Cup Club Championship.
  18. ^ This event is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Psyonix, and will be known as Esports World Cup: Featuring Rocket League.[15]
  19. ^ Tournament is part of the ESL Pro Tour.
  20. ^ Tournament does not count towards the Esports World Cup Club Championship.
  21. ^ Tournament utilizes four-player teams instead of the conventional 1v1 competitive format.

References

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  1. ^ "Was the Esports World Cup 2024 a viewership success?".
  2. ^ Yaakoubi, Aziz (October 23, 2023). "Saudi Arabia launches Esports World Cup – statement". Reuters. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Saudi Crown Prince unveils National Gaming and Esports Strategy". Arab News. 2022-09-15. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  4. ^ Nordland, Jake (October 23, 2023). "Saudi Arabian Prime Minister announces Esports World Cup". Esports Insider. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "HRH CROWN PRINCE ANNOUNCES ESPORTS WORLD CUP". esportsworldcup.com. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  6. ^ Richman, Olivia (February 21, 2024). "Esports World Cup Reveals First 5 Esports Titles". Esports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  7. ^ Fudge, James (12 June 2024). "Call of Duty Games Confirmed for the Esports World Cup". The Esports Advocate. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  8. ^ Church, Ben (2024-04-16). "Inaugural Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, worth more than $60M, hopes to send 'positive message' to industry". CNN. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  9. ^ Church, Ben (April 16, 2024). "Inaugural Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, worth more than $60M, hopes to send 'positive message' to industry". CNN. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Takahashi, Dean (April 16, 2024). "Esports World Cup will have record-breaking prize pool of more than $60M". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Zalamea, Nigel (May 16, 2024). "Esports World Cup prize pool: Club championship explained". One Esports. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Fragen, Jordan (May 6, 2024). "Esports World Cup adds 30 teams to financial support program". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  13. ^ "No one saw this coming". www.instagram.com. Archived from the original on 2024-04-20. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  14. ^ "Advancing the Esports and Player Experience in MENA". Riot Games. Archived from the original on 2024-04-20. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  15. ^ "It's time to conquer the pitch". www.instagram.com. Archived from the original on 2024-04-20. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  16. ^ Church, Ben (July 6, 2024). "A new esports tournament in Saudi Arabia promises to be a game-changer – but it's also caused division in the industry". CNN. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  17. ^ Daniel, Tom (October 26, 2023). "Ralf Reichert addresses Esports World Cup impact and criticisms". Esports Insider. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  18. ^ McIntyre, Isaac; Wahjudi, Mika Permana (2024-07-04). "Team Liquid teams get OK to wear Pride jerseys at Saudi Arabia's Esports World Cup". Dot Esports. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  19. ^ Sacco, Dom (March 29, 2024). "Ex Oblivione refuse to play in Overwatch 2 Esports World Cup". Esports News UK. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  20. ^ Esguerra, Tyler (8 June 2024). "'Extremely disappointed': Goldenboy resigns from Esports Awards over controversial decision". Dot Esports.
  21. ^ Maas, Lea (June 11, 2024). "Multiple stakeholders leave Esports Awards panel following EWC partnership". Esports Insider. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
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