2024 Esports World Cup

2024 Esports World Cup

Tournament information
Sport	Esports
Location	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Dates	July 3–August 25
Administrator	Esports World Cup Foundation Tournaments supervised by ESL
Number of events	23 in 22 esports
Purse	$62.5 million
Website	esportsworldcup.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

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

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

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

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

• Fnatic
• G2 Esports
• Guild Esports
• Karmine Corp
• Movistar KOI ^[b]
• OG
• Natus Vincere
• Ninjas in Pyjamas
• Team Liquid
• Team Secret
• Team Vitality
• Tundra Esports
• Virtus.pro

North America

• 100 Thieves
• Cloud9
• FaZe Clan
• Gaimin Gladiators
• NRG Esports
• Spacestation Gaming
• TSM

Asia

• Blacklist International
• LGD Gaming
• Gen.G Esports
• T1
• Talon Esports
• Weibo Gaming

South America

• Furia Esports
• LOUD

Middle East

• Team Falcons
• Twisted Minds

Calendar

●	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

Event winners

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

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

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

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

• Olympic Esports Series
• List of esports leagues and tournaments
• List of esports games
• Esports
• 2024 in esports

Notes

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. 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

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. "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. 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. 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. 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.

External links

• Official website