Naraka: Bladepoint to Be Part of Esports World Cup Festival

Key insights

5 takeaways

01
NetEase Games' battle royale title, Naraka: Bladepoint, is the first game confirmed for the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) Festival tournament program.
02
The Naraka: Bladepoint Mid-Season Championship will feature a total prize pool of $500,000, split into $150,000 for solos and $350,000 for trios.
03
The championship tournament is scheduled to take place on August 22 and August 23, 2025.
04
The EWC Festival is operated by the ESL FACEIT Group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian government-owned Savvy Games Group, and is funded by the nation's Public Investment Fund.
05
Naraka: Bladepoint has maintained an established esports circuit in China since 2021, which currently features an annual prize pool of $1.5 million.

Summary

The Esports World Cup Foundation and NetEase Games have announced that the battle royale title Naraka: Bladepoint will be the first game featured in the Esports World Cup (EWC) Festival program for 2025. This inclusion marks a strategic expansion for the title, which has maintained a robust competitive scene in China since its 2021 launch. The EWC Festival, which runs alongside the broader Esports World Cup, serves as a multifaceted event encompassing esports tournaments, live entertainment, and cultural programming.

As part of the festival, NetEase Games will host the Naraka: Bladepoint Mid-Season Championship, scheduled for August 22 and 23, 2025. The tournament will feature separate competitions for solos and trios, with prize pools of $150,000 and $350,000, respectively. This initiative is intended to elevate the global profile of Chinese action-combat games and further integrate the title into the international esports landscape.

The Esports World Cup is operated by the ESL FACEIT Group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian government’s Savvy Games Group, and is funded by the nation’s Public Investment Fund. While the event aims to foster global gaming culture, it remains a subject of international scrutiny due to concerns regarding the use of such high-profile sporting and entertainment events by the Saudi Arabian government to improve its public image, a practice frequently identified by human rights organizations.