Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has announced a total prize pool of more than $60m for the inaugural Esports World Cup (EWC) this summer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
EWCF has set a new record with its prize pool, now the largest in history, surpassing the previous $45m record set by Gamers8: The Land of Heroes in 2023. The organisation aims to use this money to support industry growth and provide more sustainable career options for athletes and esports clubs.
In addition, the organisation also hopes that the prize pool will attract the best athletes, teams and organisations together, enhancing the first-ever EWC.
Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esports World Cup Foundation, commented: “Setting the record for largest esports prize pool is a remarkable achievement, but what I’m most proud of is the positive message this sends to the wider esports and gaming community.”
As a big event, which will feature the world’s top clubs and esports athletes in 20 competitions, with more to be announced, throughout its eight-week schedule, the impressive prize pool will be distributed into four main channels.
The first channel is the Club Championship, a new format that focuses on multi-game competitions, with each club selecting the games they want to compete in. The EWC will award a total of $20m to the top 16 clubs based on their overall performance.
The remainder of the prize pool will be divided into three additional categories, Game Championships, MVP Awards and Qualifiers.
Each of the 20 Game Championships will boast its own prize pool, totaling over $33m collectively. Furthermore, a $50,000 MVP Award will be presented to stand out participants in each competition.
Prior to the commencement of the Game Championships, over $7m will be awarded as teams and athletes compete for qualification through events organised by partnered publishers and event organisers.
Recently, Saudi Arabia has shown tremendous support to the esports industry. In addition to hosting the EWC, the Kingdom’s National Development Fund (NDF) announced the establishment of two venture funds in March, which were valued at $120m.
Reichert added: “More than $60m is a testament to our investment in the future of global esports, a commitment to esports fans who deserve exceptional events and an extension of our mission to create meaningful competitive opportunities with life-changing prize pools for esports athletes everywhere.”
