Taking place in July-August, the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) will feature VALORANT for the first time.
SAUDI ARABIA – The Esports World Cup (EWC) has officially partnered with Riot Games to bring VALORANT, League of Legends, and Teamfight Tactics into its circuit for the next three years.
Starting with VALORANT Masters Bangkok later this month, Esports World Cup in-broadcast activations will be integrated into the VALORANT Champions Tour circuit. In an official release, it was confirmed that the VALORANT Esports World Cup tournament will be separate from the current VCT structure.
The Esports World Cup is an annual global tournament held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which debuted last year featuring 22 game titles, including Dota 2, Counter-Strike, PUBG Mobile, Apex Legends, and League of Legends. The total prize pool reached a staggering $60 million, with Team Falcons claiming the overall championship by accumulating the most points across their competing teams.
Last year, VALORANT was absent from the Esports World Cup due to scheduling conflicts with the VCT, while League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics were part of the event. Further details on the timeline, prize pool, and format of the 2025 VALORANT Esports World Cup tournament have yet to be announced.
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VALORANT will make its Esports World Cup debut, marking the first third-party tournament to take place during the VALORANT Champions Tour calendar. Several tier-one teams are expected to participate, and EWC’s promotional materials have already featured stars like Jake “Boaster” Howlett (FNATIC), Benjy “benjyfishy” Fish (Team Heretics), Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk (100 Thieves), and Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro (Sentinels).
“When we made the decision to participate last year, we went into it wanting to evaluate the tournament experience and better understand its benefit to pro players and teams.
The feedback we got from players and teams who participated last year was positive. The event’s significant prize pool offered crucial financial support for them, providing stability at a time when many esports organizations were working toward a stronger future. The EWC team put on a good tournament that showcased our sports at a high level. And for players in MENA, the EWC was a chance to watch pros in person, often for the first time in their region.
We’re also adding VALORANT this year because of the incredible growth of its esports scene and the demand we’ve seen from teams and players to bring global VALORANT events to new regions. By expanding our licenses for the EWC, we’re creating more opportunities for players and teams across all three games to compete on a big stage and grow their profiles.
Like all third-party events, participation in the EWC is completely optional for teams, pros, talent and creators, and that choice has no impact whatsoever on their relationship with Riot and their role in our official events.”
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Cover photo courtesy of EWC
