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New Global Sport Conference 2025: Speakers Revealed
The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced the speaker lineup and thematic focus for the 2025 New Global Sport Conference, a business-to-business event scheduled for August 23–24, 2025, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The New Global Sport Conference (NGSC2025) will take place August 23–24, 2025, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, following the Esports World Cup.
- The conference theme is 'The Next Game – Building the Future of Gaming, Esports, and Sports,' focusing on B2B discussions across the gaming, entertainment, and sports sectors.
- Confirmed speakers include high-level executives from major global organizations such as Sony, Disney, Activision, Sega, Bandai Namco, CBS Sports, and BITKRAFT Ventures.
The Esports World Cup: Serious Tournament or Soft Power Play?
The Esports World Cup, held annually in Riyadh, serves as both a legitimate structural investment in the global competitive gaming ecosystem and a strategic instrument of Saudi Arabian soft power.
- The Esports World Cup offers a $70 million prize pool and a centralized club championship model to address long-standing industry fragmentation and provide financial stability to teams.
- The event spans seven weeks and features 200 clubs competing across 24 games, positioning itself as a central pillar for the $3 billion global esports sector.
- The inaugural event achieved significant scale, drawing 2.5 million attendees and generating 500 million online views.
Exploring the $70M Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup serves as a central pillar of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, functioning as a non-profit initiative designed to catalyze the global gaming industry’s transition into a mainstream, sustainable entertainment sector.
- The Esports World Cup features a record-breaking $70 million prize pool across 25 tournaments, serving as a primary initiative within Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
- The event utilizes a club-based competitive model involving over 200 clubs to move the industry toward a more sustainable, professionalized infrastructure.
- A dedicated club support program currently provides direct assistance to 40 participating teams to ensure long-term ecosystem health.
Esports World Cup Foundation Signs Deal With Amazon Ads
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has entered into a three-year strategic partnership with Amazon Ads to expand the global reach and promotional efforts of the Saudi Arabian government-funded Esports World Cup.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has signed a three-year strategic partnership with Amazon Ads to promote the Saudi-funded Esports World Cup in Western and global markets.
- The agreement integrates Esports World Cup content across multiple Amazon platforms, including live broadcasts on Twitch, an original docuseries on Prime Video, voice integrations via Alexa, and content through Wondery.
- The partnership expands upon a 2024 collaboration that previously established an Esports World Cup Hub on Amazon’s regional sites in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
GeoGuessr Pulls Out of the Esports World Cup Festival
GeoGuessr has officially withdrawn from the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) Festival following intense community backlash.
- GeoGuessr has officially withdrawn from the Esports World Cup (EWC) Festival in Riyadh following intense community backlash regarding the event's association with the Saudi Arabian government.
- The planned GeoGuessr 'Last Chance Wildcard Tournament,' which was scheduled for July 21–27 with a $20,000 prize pool, has been canceled.
- The withdrawal was prompted by widespread protests from the player community, including map creators who began boycotting the game and privating major world maps to protest Saudi Arabia's human rights record.
Major Apex Legends, FC 25 Esports Events Hosted at Esports World Cup
Electronic Arts has confirmed that two of its premier competitive circuits, the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) and the EA Sports FC 25 FC Pro World Championship, will be hosted at the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Electronic Arts has designated the Esports World Cup in Riyadh as a mandatory stop for the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) Midseason Playoffs and the EA Sports FC 25 FC Pro World Championship.
- The ALGS Midseason Playoffs will take place from July 10–13, 2025, featuring 40 teams competing for a $2 million total prize pool and critical league qualification points.
- The EA Sports FC 25 FC Pro World Championship is scheduled for August 7–10, 2025, with a $1.5 million prize pool and a $250,000 top prize for the winner.
Craig Levine Stepping Down as Co-CEO of ESL FACEIT Group
Craig Levine, a long-time executive at ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), has announced his departure from the position of co-CEO.
- Craig Levine is stepping down as Co-CEO of ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) after an eleven-year tenure with the organization.
- Niccolo Maisto will assume the role of sole CEO for EFG following Levine’s departure.
- Levine will remain with the company in an advisory capacity through the end of 2025 to facilitate a leadership transition.
GeoGuessr Coming to the Esports World Cup Festival
The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced that the mobile game GeoGuessr will join the tournament program for the 2025 Esports World Cup Festival.
- GeoGuessr has been added to the Esports World Cup (EWC) Festival program, which runs alongside the EWC 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The GeoGuessr 'Last Chance Wildcard Tournament' will take place from July 21–27, 2025, featuring a $20,000 USD prize pool for the world's top 16 ranked players.
- The top two finishers at the Riyadh event will secure the final qualifying spots for the 2025 GeoGuessr World Championship, scheduled for August 29–30 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
OBSBOT Partners With Esports World Cup 2025
The Esports World Cup Foundation has entered into a two-year partnership with OBSBOT, an AI-powered camera brand owned by the China-based company REMO TECH.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation has entered a two-year partnership with AI-powered camera brand OBSBOT, naming it the official camera and webcam partner for the 2025 event.
- OBSBOT, a brand owned by the China-based company REMO TECH, will integrate its technology into the event's production studios, player areas, streaming stations, and venue activation zones.
- The Esports World Cup 2025 is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24.
Team Vitality Acquires Indonesia-Based Bigetron Esports
Team Vitality has acquired the Indonesia-based organization Bigetron Esports to bolster its presence in the Southeast Asian mobile gaming market.
- Paris-based Team Vitality has acquired the Indonesian esports organization Bigetron Esports for an undisclosed sum.
- Following the acquisition, Bigetron Esports will be rebranded as 'Bigetron by Vitality' to lead the organization's mobile gaming operations.
- The deal is part of Team Vitality’s long-term strategy to accelerate growth in the Southeast Asian market and secure additional club points for the Esports World Cup.
Naraka: Bladepoint to Be Part of Esports World Cup Festival
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.
- NetEase Games' battle royale title, Naraka: Bladepoint, is the first game confirmed for the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) Festival tournament program.
- 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.
- The championship tournament is scheduled to take place on August 22 and August 23, 2025.
Team Liquid Acquires Team Gullit
Team Liquid has officially acquired the Dutch EA FC esports organization Team Gullit, founded by Ruud Gullit and Schalk Stalman.
- Team Liquid has acquired the Dutch EA FC esports club Team Gullit, with the team officially transitioning to the Team Liquid brand.
- Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed by either organization.
- Team Gullit co-founder Corné Dubelaar will step down from daily operations of the EA FC team but will remain as an advisor to Team Liquid.