The Esports World Cup Foundation announced on Friday that the 2025 edition will feature the biggest prize pool ever seen in esports history. With a record-breaking pool of more than $70 million, which is $10 million more than last year’s, Saudi Arabia continues its push to become the foremost stage for competitive gaming worldwide. The tournament is going to be held between July 7th to August 24th in Riyadh
Hosting this year’s event and increasing the prize money is part of Saudi Arabia’s economic agenda for 2030 and the ambition to create life-changing opportunities for both the clubs and their players. Saudi is also positioning itself to be a global hub of digital entertainment, and by providing scalable careers in esports, the foundation believes it can achieve this.
With the prize pool bigger than that of last year’s, players and fans cannot wait for the tournament to kick off. As esports betting grew in the past year, fans have found a new way to not only engage but also benefit from the esports ecosystem.
This growth in the esports sector is also seen in other types of gaming including online gambling. Many online bettors have now turned to casino apps where they can get live odds, match updates, and a smooth betting experience. The best casino apps not only provide competitive odds for esports events but also instant deposits and withdrawals. (Source: https://www.valuewalk.com/igaming/best-casino-apps/).
As esports betting is gaining popularity in the Middle East, players are on the search for platforms that have a safe, fast, and mobile-friendly experience.Featured Games and Events in Esports World Cup 2025
This year’s tournament is the largest one yet, and it will feature about 25 games for the entire duration of the event. The games selected for this year cut across multiple genres. The games include League of Legends, DOTA 2, Counter Strike 2, Valorant, Fortnite, and PUBG Mobile, which have the largest fan bases in esports and guarantee high viewership. You can find the full list of game selections and their schedule on the official site.
There are also sports simulation games like FIFA and NBA 2K. This year’s event also features chess, and it is expected to drive traffic to organized platforms like Chess.com. Other top events to keep an eye on include Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, PUBG Battlegrounds, and Fatal Fury. Each game will have its own prize allocation, with top teams competing in multiple rounds leading up to the finals in Riyadh.
Teams Participating in This Year’s Event
More than 200 clubs and 2,000 elite players are expected to participate in the Esports World Cup 2025. Several high-ranking teams have already confirmed their participation. They include the 2024 inaugural club championship winner, Team Falcon, and Dota 2 2024 champion, Team Liquid. Team Liquid is also the leading global esports team, winning over $54 million from inception (2000).
Other teams participating include Gamers, FaZe Clan, Team Vitality, G2 Esports, NAVI, JD Gaming, Gen. G, and Zeta Division, to mention a few. Some of these teams delivered strong performances last year and will be aiming to defend or improve their standings.
For chess, the foundation’s CEO has announced that eight of the top 10 players in the world have signed with esports clubs. He also confirmed that Magnus Carlsen and Arjun Erigiaisi will compete in this year’s tournament.
