Esports World Cup crowns champions in Riyadh with record $70M prize pool

euronews (in English)

Esports World Cup crowns champions in Riyadh with record $70M prize pool  Riyadh became a global gaming hub as the Esports World Cup brought together 2,000 players, 200 clubs, and millions of fans.  In partnership with Media City  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/09/23/esports-world-cup-crowns-champions-in-riyadh-with-record-70m-prize-pool  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00We are building the legacy of the eSports World Cup to be the greatest sports event in the world.

00:08Saudi Arabia is in the midst of a major transformation.

00:11Reshaping its identity by balancing traditional values while fueling a diversified economy.

00:17And nothing screams innovation like the billion dollar industry of eSports.

00:22Right now this city is hosting the biggest gaming tournament in the world.

00:25And for the next seven weeks, Riyadh Boulevard transforms itself into a gamer's paradise.

00:36The eSports World Cup brings together the 24 best games in the world.

00:402,000 players, 200 clubs, almost 100 broadcasting partners.

00:45So the scale of it is on par with the biggest sports event in the world.

00:49And oh yeah, there's big money up for grabs.

00:52$70 million, the largest prize pool in eSports history.

00:57For a second straight year, Team Falcons are club champions.

01:02Top prize, a whopping $7 million.

01:05Across the 25 competitions, the gamers themselves also took home a hefty chunk of change.

01:11EWC, its獎金 is getting higher.

01:14So I want to achieve the opportunity to do better.

01:19China's Xiao Hai is widely considered as one of the greatest fighting game players.

01:24But even a champ can have a tough day, as he lost in this year's Fatal Fury finale, placing second, but still walking home with $155,000.

01:34Fast forward six weeks later and Xiao Hai successfully defended his 2024 EWC Street Fighter VI title.

01:44Becoming a back-to-back champion and taking home another $250,000.

01:49Bringing his two competition win total to an incredible $405,000.

01:55The President of the Saudi Esports Federation explains how the EWC is helping to change the perception of his country.

02:04People from 100 different countries coming to Saudi to see this tournament.

02:09There is no better way to change the narrative of what people view Saudi as than for them to view Saudi.

02:15It is that simple.

02:17And the investment is paying off.

02:19Organizers said more than 750 million viewers worldwide tuned in over the course of the tournament.

02:26All this is a precursor to the first-ever Olympic Esports Games to be held in Riyadh in 2027.

02:33That's the biggest milestone the whole industry is anticipating.

02:38It's a recognition from the oldest heritage sports organization like IOC to recognize.

02:47Esports is officially categorized as a sport.

02:51China's Moonton Games is the developer of one of the most popular video games today.

02:56Mobile Legends Bang Bang.

02:58With more than 120 million active monthly users, the free-to-play multiplayer game has a low barrier to entry.

03:06All you need is a phone.

03:08This year's MLBB Mid-Season Cup peaked at 3 million viewers.

03:13Making it the most popular tournament in Esports World Cup history.

03:17Rei Ng says while the game originated in Southeast Asia, it has quickly spread across the planet.

03:23But for Esports to get to the next level,

03:27industry leaders say inclusivity must be a key aspect in the growth strategy.

03:32In Esports, it doesn't like traditional sports.

03:35They're playing with mine, with the hands.

03:37It doesn't really create a biological difference.

03:40They have a chance to swim together, play together.

03:43And we're looking ahead and in the next 5-10 years,

03:47the MEX team is definitely the ultimate goal we wanted to create.

03:50During the final weekend of the tournament,

03:53organizers also hosted the new Global Sport Conference, featuring 1,500 global industry leaders.

04:00Nearly a decade ago, Nicole Mary left a career in law to pursue her true passion as a gamer.

04:07Now, she's the CEO and co-owner of one of Brazil's largest Esports organizations.

04:13But while she's seen progress, she'd love to see more women in Esports.

04:18Yeah, you've got to break some barriers and mostly you've got to believe in yourself.

04:22Because if you don't, who will?

04:24Former Esports athlete turned investor Jonas Gundersen moved from Denmark to Qatar

04:29because of the opportunities he saw in the region.

04:32If you want to work with like Esports, gaming, sports, entertainment and media,

04:36it's impossible to ignore the Middle East at the moment.

04:39I think the level of innovation and the passion for doing something for these industries is formidable down here.

04:46With life-changing money up for grabs, the Esports World Cup promises to get bigger and better every year,

04:53cementing itself as the biggest video game tournament in the world.

04:57The E-Mobile Cup is a great deal of innovation in the world.

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