Taking place this July, the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) will feature VALORANT for the first time.
SAUDI ARABIA – The Esports World Cup Foundation has unveiled initial details for the upcoming VALORANT tournament at EWC 2025, scheduled for July 8-13 in Riyadh.
The tournament will be part of the EWC lineup for the next three editions until 2027. This year’s event will take place just two weeks after VALORANT Masters Toronto, marking the first time a third-party event will be held mid-season in the VCT calendar. Previously, non-riot-sanctioned tournaments were only permitted after the season concluded with Champions or Ascension.
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EWC VALORANT 2025 will feature 16 teams, but details on slot allocation and qualification are yet to be announced. The final lineup will be drawn from the 40 EWC Partnered Clubs, with 30 currently active in VALORANT through VCT, Challengers, or Game Changers. Among the star-studded list are Sentinels, EDward Gaming, T1, Gen.G, and ZETA DIVISION.
The 16 competing teams will be divided into four double-elimination groups for the first three days. The top two teams from each group will then advance to a single-elimination playoff, which will take place over the final three days.
According to the press release, EWC Partnered teams must still qualify through official pathways to earn a spot in each game’s EWC tournament. Since membership in the EWCF Club Partner Program is renewed annually based on the program’s requirements, the lineup of participating VALORANT teams may change across the next three editions.
The Esports World Cup (EWC) is a premier annual sporting event and global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. The competition features a unique cross-game format that pits the world’s top esports clubs against one another for the largest prize pool in esports history.
“The EWCF Club Partner Program is a cornerstone of our mission to build a sustainable future for esports Clubs worldwide while creating opportunities for organizations from some of the world’s fastest-growing markets”, said Faisal Bin Homran, Chief Product Officer at the Esports World Cup Foundation.
“This year’s 40 partnered Clubs represent a diverse and dynamic cross-section of global esports, spanning legacy organizations, rising stars and global powerhouses that collectively define the rich history and the rapidly evolving future of the industry. By investing in their growth, the program will enable Clubs to expand their audience and reach, strengthen their brands, and gain greater visibility through fan-first content, shaping the future of esports as a global sport and mainstream entertainment.”
The inaugural EWC in 2024 featured 1,500 elite players and 200 clubs from 100 countries. They competed in 22 tournaments across 21 games for a $60 million prize pool. The eight-week competition and festival drew 500 million viewers online and saw 2.6 million people attend. Returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the summer of 2025, the EWC will bring gaming and esports communities together again to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion.
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Cover photo courtesy of EWC
