Competitions Across 21 Games Amounted to 250
Million Hours Consumed; Inaugural Event Most-Watched Tournament in
2024
Over 2 Million Visitors Attend World's Largest
Gaming and Esports Festival
Esports World Cup Set to Return to
Riyadh in July and August 2025
PRESS KIT
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia,
Aug. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/
-- The Esports World Cup Foundation ("EWCF"), the non-profit
organization dedicated to hosting the Esports World Cup ("EWC"),
the world's largest esports competition and gaming festival,
celebrated the historic inaugural event by crowning Team Falcons
the first Esports World Cup Club Champion on Sunday night in
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Closing
Ceremony concluded the biggest weekend in esports history, which
also showcased the star-studded 2024 Esports Awards and the 2024
New Global Sport Conference.
At the Closing Ceremony, the victorious Team Falcons were
awarded $7 million in life-changing
prize money and the Esports World Cup Club Championship Trophy,
which was presented to CEO Mossad "Msdossary" Al-Dossary by HRH
Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the
Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.
HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin
Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation said:
"The Esports World Cup has underscored the transformative impact of
esports and the pivotal role that this incomparable industry now
plays in cultures and societies all around the world – its
inclusive and empowering nature is something truly unique. For
eight successive weeks, this unparalleled event has brought the
entire international gaming community together like never before –
inviting all to participate in this milestone moment in esports
history. We could not be more delighted with what's transpired this
summer – it's a historic moment in time that Saudi Arabia and the world will always
remember fondly."
Across its eight-week run, the Esports World Cup recorded more
than 500 million viewers who consumed over 250 million hours of
content, making it the most-watched tournament in 2024. The event
reached its highest peak concurrent viewership of 3.5 million
during the League of Legends Grand Final, when legendary superstar
Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok guided T1 to championship victory over Top
Esports.
T1 and Top Esports were two of more than 200 esports clubs that
participated in the Esports World Cup, competing in front of
sold-out crowds in Riyadh's Boulevard City. In total, more than two
million fans visited the Esports World Cup festival in Boulevard
City, which was transformed into the epicenter of gaming culture,
featuring community tournaments, pop culture celebrations,
concerts, and immersive international experiences.
The Esports World Cup awarded an unprecedented total of more
than $60 million in prize money — the
largest prize pool in esports history – of which $20 million was reserved for the Club
Championship, allocated across the top 16 finishers.
Team Falcons fielded competitors in 18 of the event's 22 game
championships, making them the most-represented Club at the Esports
World Cup. The Club finished with 5,665 points, including two game
championships (Call of Duty: Warzone, Free Fire) and six additional
Top 3 finishes. After Team Falcons, Team Liquid (2,545 points,
$4 million), Team BDS (2,000 points,
$2 million), Team Vitality (1,650
points, $1.5 million) and T1 (1,600
points, $1.25 million) rounded out
the Top 5.
The Esports World Cup Foundation has also confirmed the
event's return to Riyadh in July
and August 2025.
Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esports
World Cup Foundation, said: "The Esports World Cup has been an
incredible success in year one, driving global esports to new
heights. I'm proud of accomplishing what we set out to do: bringing
together the best games, Clubs and players, offering a
life-changing prize pool and building the world's largest esports
festival. Congratulations to Team Falcons, who were rewarded for
their competitive excellence and investment across many new games
by becoming the first Esports World Cup Club Champion. I can't wait
to gather the best of the industry again for another epic EWC in
2025!"
Faisal bin Homran, Chief
Product Officer of the Esports World Cup Foundation, said: "The
Esports World Cup was a unique event that brought together the best
players, teams, games, and fans in one location. In addition, the
Esports World Cup is also a prime example that our investments and
our willingness to build projects at this massive scale are
primarily aimed to fulfill the passion of our youth for gaming and
esports. We are focused on developing esports in Saudi Arabia and we are determined to obtain
our vision of developing this sector into a fully functioning
industry that tailors to the interests of our local population. Our
aim is to become a global hub for gaming and esports; to elevate
the sector, contribute meaningfully to its development, and shape
its future on a global scale."
The Esports World Cup welcomed more than 1,500 of the world's
best esports players from over 100 countries as they competed
across 22 competitions in 21 games. The games lineup consisted of
(in alphabetic order): Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
III, Call of Duty: Warzone, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, EA Sports FC
24, Fortnite, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, League of Legends, Mobile
Legends: Bang Bang, Overwatch 2, PUBG Battlegrounds, PUBG Mobile,
ESL R1, Rocket League, StarCraft II, Street Fighter 6, Teamfight
Tactics, TEKKEN 8 and Tom Clancy's
Rainbow 6 Siege.
Following Sunday's awards presentation, winning players were
honored in the Celebration of Champions, a festive event that
combined live music with compelling stories of the champions'
journey. The program was followed by live performances headlined by
international music icons Steve Aoki
and Kid Cudi, as well as fireworks and a light show.
The biggest weekend in esports history also included the 2024
Esports Awards, the most prestigious night in esports, where the
best in the industry, including teams, athletes, content creators,
games and more, were honored. In addition, the 2024 New Global
Sport Conference (NGSC) brought leaders from esports, gaming,
business, sports, and entertainment together to explore "The Future
of Fandom." Thought leaders from around the globe, including HRH
Prince Faisal bin Bandar,
Ralf Reichert, Magnus Carlsen, Toshimoto Mitomo, Greg
Norman, Maya Rogers, RJ
Cutler, Dr. Songyee Yoon, Sir Leonard
Blavatnik and Joe Marsh,
discussed fandom's impact on business planning, content, IP and
media rights, marketing, and community-building.
For more information on the Esports World Cup, visit
esportsworldcup.com, and follow all upcoming Esports World Cup
announcements on X (formerly Twitter).
For all official event photos, click HERE.
About Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup is a
global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom.
The competition features a unique cross-game structure that will
pit the world's top esports teams and players against one another
for the largest-ever prize pool. Debuting in the summer 2024,
gamers, publishers, and fans from around the globe will come
together in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
to crown the world's first Esports World Cup Club Champion.
Video
- https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2489230/PRESS_HIGHLIGHTS_FILM__FINALmp4.mp4
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2489231/EWC_Team_Falcons_Trophy_Raise.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2489232/EWC_Trophy_Presentation.jpg
Logo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2452432/4875760/EsportsWorldCup__Logo_Logo.jpg
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/esports-world-cup-draws-more-than-500-million-viewers-crowns-team-falcons-first-club-champion-302230209.html