11-Feb-2025, 03:06 PM
Riot Games has partnered with the Esports World Cup (EWC) Foundation, adding League of Legends, VALORANT, and Teamfight Tactics to the Esports World Cup for the next three years. The Esports World Cup Foundation officially announced the partnership with Riot Games to bring the three titles to the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Key Points of the Partnership
Three-Year Deal The deal between Riot Games and the EWC Foundation spans three years.
Game Titles League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics were already featured in the previous Esports World Cup, while VALORANT is a new addition. This brings the total number of competitions at the event to 23 across 22 games.
Global Commercial Partnership The agreement includes a global commercial partnership between the EWCF and LoL Esports, the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), and the TFT 2025 competitive circuit. This means in-broadcast activations at LoL Esports, VCT, and TFT global LAN events25. The activations will begin at VCT Masters in Bangkok.
VALORANT’s Role VALORANT’s presence at the Esports World Cup will be the largest major tournament outside the VCT structure. The addition of VALORANT aims to create new opportunities for players and introduce VALORANT events to new regions.
TFT’s Role Teamfight Tactics will provide opportunities for top, international talent to compete in a team format.
Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup is an annual multi-title, eight-week competition held each summer. The Esports World Cup Foundation manages the event and is funded by a sporting grant from the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund. The 2024 Esports World Cup featured the largest prize pool to date for any esports tournament, with $62.5 million.
Statements
Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer at Esports World Cup Foundation, stated that Riot Games has transformed esports into a global entertainment force. He noted that bringing these titles to the Esports World Cup expands esports as a global entertainment movement and creates deeper connections with fans across gaming, music, and digital culture.
Past Involvement
Riot Games sanctioned the competition in the past but did not officially sponsor or endorse it. The company was cautious due to the Saudi Arabian government’s involvement in the gaming and esports industries. The Public Investment Fund (PIF) funds the Esports World Cup Foundation and has investments in other esports companies.
