This year’s Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia is pulling in global icons like Magnus Carlsen and Cristiano Ronaldo - proving its status as a booming, mainstream phenomenon.
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From a niche subculture of internet cafés and LAN parties to a global billion-dollar industry, esports - short for electronic sports - has become one of the most thrilling, fastest-growing spectacles in modern entertainment.
Nowhere is this meteoric rise more visible than at the Esports World Cup, which returns to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for its second edition from 8 July to 24 August 2025.
Backed by the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, this year’s event is bigger than ever, featuring 26 tournaments across 25 different games, including Counter Strike 2, League of Legends, DOTA, Tekken 8, PUBG, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and EA Sports FC 25.
This year's edition sets a new benchmark for competitive gaming, with a record-breaking $70 million (€60m) prize pool and more than 2,000 players fighting to be crowned the best in the world.
What began as casual competitions over arcade cabinets and home consoles has, in the space of two decades, become a multi-billion dollar global industry. Fuelled by the rise of high-speed internet, online streaming, and a generation raised on video games, esports today draws stadium-sized crowds, sponsors, and viewership that rivals traditional sports.
Perhaps the most headline-grabbing addition to this year's Esports World Cup is chess. Thanks to its online resurgence via Twitch, YouTube, and platforms like Chess.com, the game has found a massive new online audience.
A $1.5 million (€1.27m) prize pool is up for grabs and some of the chess' biggest names have signed with professional esports teams to compete. Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana will represent Team Liquid, Hikaru Nakamura has joined Team Falcons, and Ian Nepomniachtchi will compete under Aurora Gaming.
Another major name attached to the 2025 edition is Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who was unveiled as the global ambassador of the Esports World Cup this June, lending his name - and enormous fan base - to the event.
Beyond chess, several other titles will be making their debut this year, including the tactical shooters Crossfire and Valorant, the fast-paced battle royale game Naraka: Bladepoint, and the classic fighting game revival Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
The Esports World Cup is being live streamed on Twitch and YouTube.