Esports World Cup 2025 Breaks Records with $70M Prize Pool

Esports World Cup 2025 Breaks Records with $70 Million Prize Pool

The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced a massive $70 million prize pool for the 2025 edition of the Esports World Cup — the largest in esports history. Set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from July 7 to August 24, this year’s event is expected to be the biggest and most competitive esports tournament the world has ever seen.

With over 25 tournaments across a wide range of games, the World Cup promises a summer full of excitement, fierce rivalries, and career-changing victories. The prize pool reflects a $10 million increase from the 2024 edition and further cements the World Cup’s role in driving the global growth of esports.

Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, stated:

“Our commitment goes beyond just big prize pools. We aim to create long-term stability for players, clubs, and publishers — and this year’s tournament is a major leap forward.”

Top Games Featured in the 2025 Lineup

The 2025 Esports World Cup will include tournaments for some of the world’s biggest titles, including:

• League of Legends
• Counter-Strike 2 (CS2)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• VALORANT
• Crossfire
• FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves
• Chess
• Dota 2
• eFootball (featuring Captain Tsubasa)
• Fortnite
• PUBG Mobile
• Free Fire
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
• Apex Legends
• And many more

More than 2,000 professional players and 200 of the world’s best esports clubs will compete in the largest multi-title gaming tournament ever held.

A Closer Look at the Prize Distribution

Of the total prize pool:

• $27 million is dedicated to the Clubs Championship, where 16 elite teams will face off. The top club will receive a massive $7 million.
• Over $38 million will be awarded across the game-specific competitions.
• $450,000 will go to the top individual players in each game.
• More than $5 million is reserved for qualifying stages.

Massive Growth from 2024

Last year’s inaugural event saw over 500 million online views and 2.6 million visitors at Riyadh’s Boulevard City. Team Falcons dominated by winning three tournaments and earning 5,665 points — claiming the Clubs Championship title and $7 million. Team Liquid and Team BDS followed in second and third place, respectively.

Building the Future of Esports

The Esports World Cup Foundation is also deepening its ties with the gaming world through partnerships with major publishers like Riot Games, Activision, and Capcom.

They’ve also launched a Club Support Program that now includes over 40 top esports clubs, aimed at helping teams build their brands and give players more opportunities on the global stage.

Additionally, Riyadh will host the New Global Sports Conference on August 23–24, 2025. The event will gather leading voices in esports, gaming, and technology to discuss the future of digital sports and innovation.