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Documents about World Cup
Overwatch 2 Returns to China
Overwatch 2 is set to officially return to mainland China on February 19, 2025, following a collaborative agreement between Blizzard Entertainment and the NetEase-owned Thunder Fire Group.
- Overwatch 2 will officially return to mainland China on February 19, 2025, following a technical test period for the new server beginning January 8.
- Mainland China has been designated as the fourth independent region within the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) ecosystem, joining North America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.
- The first on-site OWCS championship event will take place in April at the Hangzhou Esports Centre, featuring eight teams competing from all four global regions.
Riot: No Game Changers at Esports World Cup in 2025
Riot Games has officially confirmed that the Valorant Game Changers program will not participate in the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Riot Games has officially confirmed that the Valorant Game Changers program will not participate in the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh.
- Negotiations regarding the inclusion of other Riot titles, such as League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and Valorant, remain ongoing and are not yet finalized.
- Riot clarified that any potential inclusion of its titles in the eight-week event would be licensed to a third party and would not constitute an officially sanctioned league event.
More Games Added to 2025 Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup Foundation has expanded the roster for its 2025 competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by adding Chess.com, the racing title RENNSPORT, and the battle royale games Crossfire and PUBG: Battlegrounds.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation has added Chess.com, RENNSPORT, Crossfire, and PUBG: Battlegrounds to the 2025 competition lineup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Chess.com will feature a $1.5M total prize pool and include participation from Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, with the Champions Chess Tour serving as the primary qualification path.
- The 2025 Esports World Cup is scheduled to run for eight weeks, beginning in early July and concluding in late August.
Esports Trends in 2024: Mobile Games, Co-streaming, and Creators
The esports industry in 2024 was defined by a shift toward high-production, multi-game events, the rapid expansion of mobile gaming, and the increasing reliance on influencer-led co-streaming.
- Co-streaming has become a dominant force in esports, accounting for 44% of all viewership in 2024 with 1.2 billion hours watched.
- Mobile esports viewership grew by 41% year-over-year, driven by the high accessibility of mobile hardware compared to traditional PC-based titles.
- The Esports World Cup generated 103 million hours watched and a peak viewership of 2.8 million, demonstrating the effectiveness of multi-game tournament formats in cross-pollinating audiences.
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.
- Rocket League will return as an official competitive title at the 2025 Esports World Cup, scheduled for summer 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The 2025 tournament will not be an officially sanctioned Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) event, nor is it supported or endorsed by Epic Games.
- The 2024 iteration of the Rocket League Esports World Cup featured a total prize pool of $550,000, with winner Team BDS earning $200,000.
Zeynep Gencaga Dechelotte Named Deputy Director of IOC Esports
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has appointed Zeynep Gencaga Dechelotte as the new deputy director of its esports division.
- Zeynep Gencaga Dechelotte was appointed deputy director of IOC Esports in November 2024 to help lead the organization's esports initiatives.
- Dechelotte previously served as senior esports director and head of regions at Ubisoft, and held business development roles at Riot Games Europe for over two years.
- The IOC has established a 12-year partnership with the Saudi Arabian government to host the Olympic Esports Games.
Team Vitality, Lille Olympique Sporting Club Renew Partnership
Team Vitality and the French football club Lille Olympique Sporting Club (LOSC) have renewed their partnership for a third consecutive year, continuing their collaborative efforts within the EA Sports FC esports ecosystem.
- Team Vitality and Lille Olympique Sporting Club (LOSC) have renewed their partnership for a third consecutive year to compete in EA FC esports.
- The 2024/25 season roster features players Ilian Bouchi and Brice Masson, coached by Johann ‘ManiiKa’ Simon.
- The partnership aims to secure qualification for the 2025 Esports World Cup.
Overwatch 2 and EA FC 25 Confirmed for 2025 Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup Foundation has officially confirmed that Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 and Electronic Arts’ EA FC 25 will be featured titles in the 2025 Esports World Cup.
- Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 and EA’s EA FC 25 have been confirmed as official titles for the 2025 Esports World Cup, scheduled to begin in July 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The Call of Duty League has committed to a three-year deal with the Esports World Cup Foundation and is adjusting its competitive calendar to accommodate the summer event.
- The Esports World Cup is an eight-week, multi-title competition operated by the ESL FACEIT Group, a subsidiary of the Saudi government-owned Savvy Games Group.
Esports World Cup Foundation Partner Program Expands
The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced an expansion of its club partner program for the 2025 summer competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation is expanding its 2025 partner program to include 40 teams, up from 30 in 2024.
- The foundation has allocated $20 million in funding for the 2025 program, an increase from the $16.8 million provided in the previous year.
- Applications for the 2025 partner program are open until January 10, 2025, with criteria focusing on competitive performance, social media presence, and global fan engagement.
Level Infinite Commits $10M to PUBG Mobile Esports in 2025
Level Infinite, the gaming brand under Tencent Holdings, has announced a $10 million investment dedicated to its global PUBG Mobile esports ecosystem for 2025.
- Level Infinite, a brand of Tencent Holdings, will invest $10 million into global PUBG Mobile esports initiatives throughout 2025.
- The 2025 circuit will feature over 20 regional tournaments across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia to provide amateur players pathways into professional leagues like the PUBG Mobile Super League (PMSL).
- Key 2025 events include the PUBG Mobile Global Open (PMGO) in Uzbekistan during the spring, the PUBG Mobile World Cup (PMWC) in Riyadh as part of the Esports World Cup, and the PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) in Thailand.
PUBG Mobile Confirmed for 2025 Esports World Cup
Level Infinite and the Esports World Cup Foundation have officially confirmed that the mobile battle royale title PUBG Mobile will return as a featured competitive game for the 2025 Esports World Cup.
- PUBG Mobile has been confirmed as a competitive title for the 2025 Esports World Cup, an eight-week event hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The Esports World Cup is a non-profit initiative funded by a grant from the Saudi Arabian government’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
- The 2025 tournament will feature a diverse lineup of titles, including Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, Dota 2, Street Fighter 6, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, Counter-Strike 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Call of Duty: Warzone.
Apex Legends Confirmed for 2025 Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup Foundation has officially confirmed that Electronic Arts’ battle royale title, Apex Legends, will return as a featured competitive game for the 2025 Esports World Cup.
- Electronic Arts has confirmed that Apex Legends will return as a competitive title at the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The 2024 Apex Legends competition at the Esports World Cup featured a $1 million total prize pool, with the winning team, Alliance, earning $600,000.
- It remains unconfirmed whether the 2025 event will be a mandatory stop on the official Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) calendar or an optional exhibition tournament.