In 2025, Saudi Arabia will host the largest international esports tournament in history, the Esports World Cup 2025. According to journalist Mikhail Klimentov from The Washington Post, the popular shooter VALORANT is highly likely to be included in the list of tournament disciplines.
What is the Esports World Cup?
The Esports World Cup is a large-scale competition that debuted in the summer of 2024 in Riyadh. The prize pool was a record-breaking $60 million (approximately ¥93 billion), and the tournament featured 19 disciplines, including League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, PUBG, and other popular games. However, VALORANT did not participate that year due to scheduling conflicts with the VCT 2024 stages.
Discussions Around Adding VALORANT
In August of this year, John Needham, head of esports at Riot Games, announced that active negotiations were underway to include VALORANT in the tournament. Later, Mikhail Klimentov reported that internal documents from the organizers confirmed VALORANT's inclusion in the Esports World Cup 2025 program.
However, the Game Changers series, which focuses on supporting women and LGBTQ+ players, is unlikely to be included. This decision stems from the tense situation in Saudi Arabia concerning LGBTQ+ rights.
NEW: I obtained an internal Esports World Cup document that confidently lists Valorant + Game Changers among the events at the 2025 EWC.
— ℳikhail Klimentov (@LeaderGrev) December 27, 2024
Riot, however, says GC is off the table for 2025, and that EWC has not spoken with them about hosting a women's event.https://t.co/E6So8n5Krp
Riot Games' Statement
The Riot Games press office confirmed that discussions are ongoing about including games such as League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and VALORANT in the Esports World Cup 2025. However, no agreement has been reached yet. It was also clarified that the addition of Game Changers is not under consideration.
Tournament Dates and Disciplines
At present, 19 disciplines have been confirmed for the Esports World Cup 2025. The remaining six games will be announced later. Considering the VCT 2025 tournament schedule, the competition could take place either in late May, after the first stage concludes, or in early July, following Masters Toronto.
Confirmed Disciplines:
- Call of Duty Black Ops 6
- Honor of Kings
- Call of Duty Warzone
- Free Fire
- Street Fighter
- Dota 2
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Counter-Strike 2
- PUBG Mobile
- Apex Legends
- EA SPORTS FC
- Overwatch 2
- Mobile Legends
- Mobile Legends Female
- Rocket League
- Chess.com
- StarCraft II
- Rennsport
- PUBG
Announcements regarding the addition of new games are expected in the coming months.
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