Rocket League Returns to the Esports World Cup in 2025

Rocket League has been confirmed as an official competitive title for the 2025 Esports World Cup, scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This inclusion marks the game's return to the eight-week, multi-title tournament, which is funded by the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund and operated by the ESL FACEIT Group. The event continues to feature a diverse roster of major titles, including Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and various mobile gaming staples.

The 2025 competition follows the 2024 iteration, which featured a $550,000 prize pool for Rocket League, with Team BDS securing the top prize of $200,000. Despite its inclusion in the tournament, the event remains independent of the official Rocket League Championship Series and does not receive direct endorsement or support from Epic Games. This distinction highlights the tournament's unique position as a third-party, government-backed spectacle rather than a developer-sanctioned championship.

The Esports World Cup remains a subject of international scrutiny, with human rights organizations frequently criticizing the Saudi government for utilizing such high-profile sporting events to improve its global image. While the event continues to attract major publishers and titles, the geopolitical context surrounding the funding and management of the tournament remains a significant point of discussion within the broader esports industry.