Saudi Arabia Announces the Launch of the E-Sports World Cup

Saudi Arabia has announced the launch of the Esports World Cup, an annual event that will include the most popular games in the world and have a prize pool of $10 million. The tournament is expected to be the largest global event of its kind. It will serve as a platform that supports the gaming and esports sector, consolidating Saudi Arabia’s position as a hub for global esports. The Esports World Cup is expected to materialize the goals envisioned in Saudi Arabia’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy. It aims to increase the sector’s contribution to the Kingdom’s gross domestic product by more than SR50 billion ($13.3 billion) by 2030.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, made the announcement. He said that the first event will be held in Riyadh next summer. According to the statement, clubs will compete in various types of games to become the ultimate eSports World Cup champion. Officials pointed out that this event will help Saudi Arabia accelerate the implementation of its national gaming and e-sports strategy.

Sports, esports and gaming have been part of the Saudi Crown Prince’s transformation plan, Vision 2030. The government is also investing hundreds of billions of dollars to diversify the kingdom’s economy. The aim of this is to reduce its dependence on oil. Furthermore, under the plan, the Kingdom aims to establish 250 local gaming companies and create 39,000 jobs.

Esports World Cup

The titles to be included in the Esports World Cup have not been announced yet. However, they were described as including the most popular games in the world across all key genres. The tournament will replace Gamers8, the Saudi Esports Federation’s existing $45 million esports festival in Riyadh. The indoor tournament is planned as a key attraction to bolster Saudi tourism during the summer.

The Crown Prince also announced the establishment of the Esports World Cup Foundation. This is a nonprofit organization to increase collaboration between esports stakeholders. The foundation will work to develop the esports ecosystem in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. It will also focus on education, training, and talent development.

Conclusion

The Esports World Cup is a significant development in the esports industry. It is expected to attract a large audience and generate significant revenue. The tournament will provide a platform for gamers from around the world to compete and showcase their skills, and it will also help to develop the esports ecosystem in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. The establishment of the Esports World Cup Foundation is a positive step towards increasing collaboration between esports stakeholders and developing the talent pool in the region. However, the tournament’s announcement has also been met with criticism, and it remains to be seen how the esports community will respond to the event.