World Cup
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Documents about World Cup
Fresh Round of Layoffs Hit ESL FACEIT Group
ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), a prominent international tournament organizer and festival company, has implemented a new round of workforce reductions.
- ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has initiated a new round of layoffs affecting approximately 80 to 90 employees, primarily within its EMEA division.
- EFG CEO Niccolo Maisto stated in an internal email that this reduction marks the end of the current phase of organizational change and that no further layoffs of this scale are anticipated.
- The company described the cuts as a strategic realignment intended to reduce operational complexity and focus resources on high-growth areas, rather than purely a cost-cutting measure.
Grant Rousseau Joins NIP Group to Lead Esports Division
NIP Group (NASDAQ: NIPG) has appointed industry veteran Grant Rousseau as the new chief operating officer of its esports division.
- NIP Group (NASDAQ: NIPG) has appointed Grant Rousseau as the new chief operating officer of its esports division.
- Rousseau joins NIP Group following a three-year tenure at Team Falcons, where he oversaw the expansion of 20 esports rosters and secured back-to-back Esports World Cup victories in 2024 and 2025.
- In his new role, Rousseau will report to Co-CEOs Hicham Chahine and Mario Ho to manage operations for NIP Group’s global competitive rosters, including Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, and Honor of Kings.
Live Streaming Basics: A Comprehensive Introduction
The global live-streaming landscape underwent a transformative shift in the third quarter of 2025, characterized by record-breaking viewership and a significant redistribution of market power.
- TikTok Live has emerged as a dominant market force with 9.1 billion hours watched, causing Twitch’s market share to drop below 50% for the first time.
- Total global live-streaming viewership reached 9.6 billion hours in Q3 2025, marking a 13% year-over-year increase.
- Non-gaming content is now the primary driver of viewership with 1.7 billion hours watched, while massive live events like 'La Velada del Año V' set new records with 9.2 million peak concurrent viewers.
The Esports World Cup 2025 on Live Streaming
The Esports World Cup 2025 serves as a comprehensive analysis of live-streaming performance for the second iteration of the multi-game tournament held in Saudi Arabia.
- The Esports World Cup 2025 generated 168 million hours watched, a 73% increase over 2024, and reached a peak viewership of 3.2 million, marking a 1 million viewer improvement from the previous year.
- MOBAs dominated the event by accounting for over 50% of all hours watched (85.6 million), despite representing only 5 of the 25 total tournaments.
- Co-streaming was a critical distribution channel, contributing 41.5% of total hours watched, with some titles like Warzone and Counter-Strike seeing co-streaming viewership reach 88% and 76% respectively.
Esports Charts Partners With GeoGuessr
Esports Charts and the competitive division of the geography-based game GeoGuessr have entered into a strategic partnership to enhance the data-driven capabilities of the latter’s tournament operations.
- Esports Charts has entered a partnership with GeoGuessr to provide viewership and audience engagement analytics for the game's competitive esports tournaments.
- The collaboration will provide GeoGuessr event organizers with a tournament dashboard to track engagement trends, compare regional performance, and inform data-driven decision-making for future events.
- Financial terms of the partnership agreement between the two companies were not disclosed.
Call of Duty League Team Vegas Falcons Relocate to Riyadh, Rebrand as Riyadh Falcons
The Call of Duty League (CDL) franchise formerly known as the Vegas Falcons has officially relocated to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and rebranded as the Riyadh Falcons.
- The Call of Duty League (CDL) franchise formerly known as Vegas Legion has officially relocated to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and rebranded as the Riyadh Falcons.
- The franchise slot was acquired by the Saudi Arabian organization Team Falcons in late 2024, ahead of the 2025 season.
- Star player McArthur “Cellium” Jovel, a 2021 Call of Duty World Champion, has joined the Riyadh Falcons following his departure from Atlanta FaZe.
Middle East & Africa Gaming Review 2025
The Middle East and Africa gaming landscape is poised for rapid expansion, with market value projected to rise from US $7.4 billion in 2024 to over US $19.4 billion by 2033, reflecting an 11% CAGR driven largely by mobile-first adoption and a vibrant startup ecosystem.
- The Middle East and Africa gaming market is projected to grow from $7.4 billion in 2024 to over $19.4 billion by 2033, representing an 11% CAGR driven by mobile-first adoption.
- Investment is highly concentrated, with Israel leading at nearly $1 billion raised across 146 startups, followed by Turkey at $961 million and Nigeria at $371 million.
- Turkey has established itself as a 'unicorn factory' through major deals, including Peak Games’ $1.8 billion acquisition and Dream Games’ $2.6 billion capital raise.
HRH Crown Prince MBS Named Board of Trustees Chair for Esports World Cup Foundation
The Saudi Arabian cabinet has appointed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) as the Chair of the newly established Board of Trustees for the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF).
- Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has been appointed Chair of the newly established Board of Trustees for the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF).
- The Board of Trustees for the EWCF is set to serve a three-year term, marking a significant increase in direct government oversight of the organization.
- While the EWCF has historically claimed to be a non-profit independent of the Saudi government, this appointment further links the foundation to state leadership and the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Shikenso Analytics Extends FURIA Partnership for Two Years
Brazilian esports organization FURIA has extended its partnership with AI-powered sponsorship analytics provider Shikenso Analytics for an additional two years.
- Brazilian esports organization FURIA has renewed its partnership with AI-powered analytics provider Shikenso Analytics for an additional two years.
- The agreement focuses on utilizing Shikenso’s technology to track, measure, and optimize sponsor visibility across digital platforms, including Twitch and YouTube.
- FURIA’s CMO, Pedro Lopes, stated that the partnership is essential for providing transparent data on partner ROI and identifying new growth opportunities.
Annual Report 2024: Savvy Games Group
Savvy Games Group has established itself as a premier global force in interactive entertainment, currently ranking eighth worldwide by net revenue.
- Savvy Games Group ranks as the eighth-largest global gaming company by net revenue and serves as the primary vehicle for Saudi Arabia’s goal to contribute $13.3 billion to GDP and create 39,000 jobs by 2030.
- The organization has deployed over $12 billion in capital across nine major acquisitions since 2021 to scale its operations to nearly 4,000 employees across 22 countries.
- The ESL FACEIT Group holds a 40% share of the global esports market and engages more than 225 million users through platforms like the Esports World Cup.
Esports World Cup Foundation Reveals Esports Nations Cup
The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced the launch of the Esports Nations Cup, a biennial international tournament designed to foster national-level competition.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has announced the launch of the Esports Nations Cup (ENC), a biennial international tournament featuring nation-versus-nation competition.
- The inaugural Esports Nations Cup is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2026.
- The EWCF is co-developing the competition in partnership with major game publishers including Electronic Arts, Krafton, Tencent, and Ubisoft.
How Riyadh Is Becoming a Global Hub for Esports
Riyadh is rapidly establishing itself as a premier global destination for esports, driven by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the National Gaming and Esports Strategy.
- Riyadh is hosting the Esports World Cup (EWC), the world's largest esports tournament, featuring a record-breaking prize pool of over US$70 million.
- The event spans eight weeks and includes 24 different game titles, 2,000 players from over 200 clubs, and 7,000 hours of live broadcast content.
- The EWC is broadcast in 35 languages across 140 countries, with viewership reaching over 500 million globally in the previous year.