Esports World Cup 2025 opens in Riyadh with four Kazakhstani players competing

Organised for the second time by the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) and ESL FACEIT Group, the event builds on the legacy of Gamers8, expanding its format and boosting its prize pool. This year’s competition runs from July 8 to August 24.

Each of the 25 games featured in the Esports World Cup has its own qualification system, but all championship finals will take place as part of a single major event.

Five new titles have been added to the line-up compared to last year: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, CrossFire, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, and VALORANT. Chess is also making its debut at the tournament, attracting top grandmasters such as Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid), Hikaru Nakamura (Team Falcons), and Ian Nepomniachtchi (Aurora Gaming), who have all signed with esports organisations to compete. Meanwhile, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Fortnite have been dropped from this year’s roster.

Games and prize pool

The tournament will feature competitions in multiple genres:

MOBA: Dota 2, League of Legends, Honor of Kings, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women's Invitational

Shooters: Counter-Strike 2, VALORANT, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Call of Duty: Warzone, Rainbow Six Siege, Apex Legends, PUBG, PUBG Mobile, CrossFire, Free Fire, and Overwatch 2

Simulators and sports: Rennsport (Sim Racing), EA Sports FC 25, Rocket League

Fighting games: Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

Strategy and others: StarCraft II, Chess, Teamfight Tactics

Matches will take place across six dedicated zones, each assigned to a specific discipline. There will also be backstage areas for simultaneous games and a Festival Area for last chance qualifiers.

The total prize pool for Esports World Cup 2025 exceeds $70.45 million, covering the Club Championship, individual game championships, MVP awards, and qualifiers. Of this, $27 million will be awarded to the top 16 organisations in the Club Championship, with the winner taking home $7 million. Teams earn points based on their placements in each discipline but must win at least one tournament to claim the overall Club Championship title.

Prize pool changes

Organisers have announced adjustments to prize pools across different games. League of Legends will see its prize money increased by $1 million, Rocket League by $500,000, and Counter-Strike 2 by $250,000. Meanwhile, Dota 2’s prize pool has been reduced by $2 million, and StarCraft II’s by $300,000. Street Fighter 6 has also been granted qualification for the Capcom Cup.

Players from Kazakhstan

The largest number of participants come from China (134 players), the United States (132), and South Korea (108). This year, four players from Kazakhstan will compete at the Esports World Cup: three in Dota 2 and one in Counter-Strike 2.

In Dota 2, Malady and watson play for Gaimin Gladiators, last year’s champions (though their previous winning roster did not include Kazakh players), while TA2000 represents the newly formed Team Yandex. In Counter-Strike 2, Kazakh player ICY will compete as part of Virtus.pro.

Youngest and oldest competitors

The youngest player at the tournament will be Craime, a 14-year-old from Chile competing in Street Fighter 6. The oldest participant is 44-year-old Japanese professional YHC-Mochi, who will also compete in Street Fighter 6.

Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported on the final day of PGL Astana 2025 in May.