Tag: Foundation

Esports World Cup Foundation teams with Tencent on esports


The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) today announced a partnership with Tencent, making Tencent E-sports its strategic partner in China.

The aims is to drive the expansion of the Esports World Cup’s presence in the region. This partnership marks a significant milestone in the EWCF’s purpose to unite global esports fans under one competitive umbrella.

The group said the deal underscores its commitment to integrating the world’s most important and rapidly growing esports market into the Esports World Cup platform. The agreement was formalized at the Empower Esports Worldwide Series – The Esports Operation and Technology Session in Shenzhen, China.

The collaboration will establish a dedicated development team to enhance EWC’s visibility, engagement, and industry collaboration in China, while leveraging EWC’s and Tencent E-sports’ networks and expertise to connect Chinese esports with EWC’s global ecosystem.

“The Esports World Cup has created a global stage for competitive gaming, demonstrating its influence not only in China but across the world,” said Mars Hou, vice president of Tencent Games and general manager of Tencent E-sports, in a statement. “Through this partnership, we are committed to elevating EWC’s presence in China and integrating our esports industry with the world’s largest competitive gaming event. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with EWCF to push esports forward on a global scale.”

Tencent E-sports will provide marketing expertise, strategic consulting, and operational support to deliver diverse content and experiences.

“The Esports World Cup’s purpose is to create a global platform for esports and gaming fans worldwide, and investing in key growth markets for esports is a core pillar of our mission,” said Thamer Al Shuaibi, chief of staff at the Esports World Cup Foundation, in a statement. “China plays a critical role in this vision, and Tencent’s leadership in gaming and esports positions it as an essential partner. By combining our expertise, we will continue to strengthen esports as an industry, providing new opportunities for Chinese players and Clubs, and bringing the best of the Esports World Cup to Chinese fans.”

Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. The tournament’s unique cross-game format will reward Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool in a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together esports’ best players, Clubs and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports.

The inaugural Esports World Cup in 2024 united 1,500 elite athletes from 100 countries and 200 clubs, competing across 21 game titles for a life-changing $60 million prize pool.

The world’s largest esports event welcomed 2.6 million visitors to Riyadh and more online viewers, connecting fans with the best games, players and teams. Returning in the summer of 2025, gamers, publishers, and fans from around the globe will come together in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion.

Esports World Cup Foundation, the organisation behind Esports World Cup, was recently announced as a founding partner of the Esports Olympic Games, in partnership with The International Olympic Committee.

Riot Games Signs Three-Year Deal with the Esports World Cup Foundation

The Esports World Cup Foundation announced a partnership with Riot Games to bring League of Legends, Valorant, and Teamfight Tactics to the Esports World Cup 2025 this summer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Financial terms of this new deal were not disclosed.

The news wasn’t particularly surprising for anyone who has been paying attention to Riot or the Esports World Cup Foundation—last year Riot allowed both Teamfight tactics and League of Legends to have a presence at the eight-week competition, and told The Esports Advocate that it would have included Valorant if not for some scheduling conflicts with the competitive calendar for the Valorant Champions Tour.

The new three-year partnership will see Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and League of Legends become official club titles for the event. The announcement from the Esports World Cup Foundation notes that Valorant’s presence during the Esports World Cup will serve as “the largest major tournament outside the VCT structure,” while “TFT will provide opportunities for top, international talent to compete in an exciting team format.” In addition, this new agreement includes “a global commercial partnership between EWCF and LOL Esports, the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), and the TFT 2025 competitive circuit. This includes but is not limited to  EWC in-broadcast activations at LoL Esports, VCT, and TFT global LAN events.

“Riot Games has shaped the cultural impact of competitive gaming, transforming esports into a global entertainment force,” said Fabian Scheuermann, chief games officer, Esports World Cup Foundation. “With League of Legends’ iconic World Championship – which continues to set new standards for immersive experiences, VALORANT’s cultural collaborations, and Teamfight Tactics’ community-driven events, Riot has pioneered an ecosystem far beyond competition. By bringing these titles to the Esports World Cup, we are not just celebrating elite gameplay – we are, together, expanding esports as a global entertainment movement, creating deeper connections with fans across gaming, music, and digital culture.”

In case you are not familiar with it, the Esports World Cup is a multi-title, eight-week competition held on an annual basis during the summer that is managed by the Esports World Cup Foundation, a non-profit funded (it claims) by a sporting grant from the Saudi government’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund. The Esports World Cup is operated by ESL FACEIT Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi government-owned gaming and esports company Savvy Games Group. EFG is home to a number of tournament organizers and broadcast production companies including DreamHack, ESL, FACEIT, and Esports Engine.

Projects backed or owned by the Saudi Arabian government such as the Esports World Cup are frequently criticized for helping the government engage in what is called “sports washing,” or using various forms of sport and entertainment to cover up its record on human rights, women’s rights, LGTBQ+ rights, military actions in Yemen, and more. These and other criticisms are actively highlighted by international watchdog groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

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