RIYADH, Saudi Arabia/COLOGNE/NEW YORK – August 6, 2024 – ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company, today announced a multi-year partnership as the official operating partner of the Esports World Cup, the largest esports competition in history. The first-of-its-kind competition, which is currently underway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is already leveraging EFG’s unparalleled know-how, industry relationships, and scale to support the Esports World Cup’s vision of creating a platform that brings together the world’s best games, players and Clubs.
“Esports World Cup is one of the most ambitious new global sports events to ever take place,” said Craig Levine, Co-CEO, EFG. “It’s a historic step forward for esports’ global growth, and the results so far are a testament to the collaboration of both teams, our deep-rooted relationships with industry stakeholders, and our unrivaled understanding of how gamers celebrate esports. As we approach the end of this life-changing tournament, we’re already looking forward to continuing to shape the future of sports fandom and entertainment powered by esports and gaming – not just through the end of August, but for years to come.”
As the official operating partner, EFG is responsible for the delivery of tournament operations and broadcast programming that brings together gaming audiences and mainstream sports and entertainment communities for a global celebration of skill, passion, and competitive spirit. EFG has also worked in close collaboration with the Esports World Cup to support its product proposition and global marketing strategy.
Earlier this year, EFG hosted global qualifiers across North and South America, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and more to determine the world’s best players who are currently competing on the Esports World Cup stage. In the years ahead, EFG will continue to integrate Esports World Cup titles into ESL, DreamHack, and the FACEIT platform,providing opportunities for aspiring champions worldwide to climb the ranks and qualify for the largest esports competition ever.
“The Esports World Cup is delivering premier competition at a scale never seen before, giving 3.4 billion gaming fans around the globe a true spectacle, providing players with life-changing prize money and crowning the first Club Champion,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esports World Cup Foundation. “EFG’s operational excellence and industry-leading experience have been invaluable as we execute this world-first event, and we’re excited to lean on our multi-year partnership as we look to expand Esports World Cup programming and accelerate the industry’s growth.”
Having started July 3 and running through August 25, the Esports World Cup has transformed Riyadh, Saudi Arabia into the epicenter of esports fandom and gaming culture. Located in Boulevard City, fans can watch their favorite players and clubs compete across 22 game championships – ultimately crowning the first Club Champion – for a share of more than $60 million in life-changing prize money, the largest prize pool in esports history. Across eight weeks, the Esports World Cup also features festival activities that include interactive gaming activations, community tournaments, pop culture celebrations, international experiences, and more.
To stay up to date on the latest happenings at Esports World Cup, visit www.esportsworldcup.com, and follow Esports World Cup on X (formerly Twitter). For more information on ESL FACEIT Group, visit eslfaceitgroup.com and follow EFG on LinkedIn.
