All You Need to Know About the Esports World Cup 2024

Key Takeaways:

1. The first-ever Esports World Cup was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
2. This tournament took place from July 3, 2024, to August 24, 2024.
3. There are a total of 21 games and the prize pool stands at $60.0 million.
4. The event also featured prestigious Esports Awards and side tournaments, celebrating top talents and contributions in the esports industry.
5. You can view the Esports World Cup in-person by buying tickets or you can stream/follow it online.
6. Get a similar tournament platform designed to host Esports tournaments and take advantage of the Esports boom.

Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, highlighted the success of EWC 2024, stating that the EWC "went way beyond projections," delivering a 30% tourism boost for Riyadh.

‍

When is Esports World Cup 2024? 

The 2024 Esports World Cup started on July 4, 2024, and was scheduled to end on August 24, 2024. 

Where is Esports World Cup 2024? 

The 2024 Esports World Cup took place at Boulevard City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

For this tournament, 4 main areas were utilized in a 645,000-square-foot venue: 

• The Qiddiya Arena -  features League of Legends (LoL), Dota 2, Overwatch 2, Rainbow Six Siege, Street Fighter 6, EA Sports FC 24, and Rocket League
  
  
• 5v5 Arena (or Amazon Arena) - features Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, CS2, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Tekken 8, Heroes of Order and Chaos
  
  
• BR Arena (or STC Arena) - features Warzone, Free Fire, PUBG Mobile, Apex Legends, StarCraft 2, and Teamfight Tactics. 

• Riyadh Festival - features Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, RENNSPORT, and Dota 2 

This 8-week extravaganza planned to combine gamers, influencers, and Esports enthusiasts from around the globe.

What's on offer? An intense tournament-style competition that promises to bring you the best from the Esports world. 

Here's a quick explainer discussing everything you need to know about the Esports World Cup 2024.

The Role of the Esports World Cup Foundation

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) is a non-profit organization funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. This Esports World Cup was hosted by the Esports World Cup Foundation and the ESL FACEIT Group.

Enthusiasts are well aware that the first edition of the Esports World Cup was announced in late 2023 by the EWCF.

The aim was to promote sustainable planning for esports organizations and provide impactful career opportunities and competitive support to athletes worldwide.

The foundation’s mission extends beyond the tournament itself, as it also hosts the New Global Sport Conference. This conference brings together top players from sports, esports, gaming, entertainment, technology, and beyond to discuss the future of esports.

By encouraging such discussions, the EWCF aims to shape the future of the esports world, ensuring it remains vibrant and sustainable.

Esports World Cup 2024 Games List 

21 Esports Games. 30 Teams. One Platform.

The Esports World Cup 2024 promised various games, including 4 first-person shooter games, 5 MOBAs, and several sports and fighting games to complete the list of 21.

A complete list of the Esports World Cup games online is available below: 

‍

Game Format: Esports World Cup 2024

The Esports World Cup 2024 game format had a tailored qualification system for each game. 

For certain games, direct invitations were sent to top-ranked teams and winners of major competitions (such as regional qualifiers). 

For games like Counter-Strike 2, spots were allocated based on the ESL World Rankings and performance in qualifying tournaments. 

Some games like Dota 2 involve playing in teams, whereas games like Tekken feature individual players. 

In short, the format for each game varied.

This ensured that each game was played in a format that suits it best. This approach maximizes the excitement for each game and increases the ‘fairness' element of the competition. 

2024 Esports World Cup Games Schedule 

The Esports World Cup 2024 took place in an eight-week span during July and August. That's eight weeks of intense battle! 

Just view the Saudi Esports World Cup schedule below to find out the 8 week plan. 

Points System at the 2024 Esports World Cup

The Esports World Cup Saudi Arabia featured a unique points system that sees teams compete for a $20 million grand prize. 

The breakdown of the points system is as follows:

• 1st Place = 1,000 Points
• 2nd Place = 600 Points
• 3rd Place = 350 Points
• 4th Place = 200 Points
• 5th Place = 110 Points
• 6th Place = 70 Points
• 7th Place = 40 Points
• 8th Place = 20 Points

An important detail to note is that beyond 1st and 2nd positions, there are no tiebreakers. This means that if 2 teams tie on points, they will both receive:

• 3rd-4th Place = 275 Points
• 5th-6th Place = 90 Points
• 5th-8th Place = 60 Points
• 7th - 8th Place = 30 Points 

Once all the points have been calculated, the team with the most points will be crowned as the Esports Cup Champion. 

Esports World Cup 2024 Prize Pools

The total prize pool for the 2024 Esports World Cup was $60,000,000.

Followers of Esports tournaments will remember that the previous event (Gamers8 event) hosted by the ESWC organizers in 2023, had a $45 million prize pool. 

This time 30 teams went head to head for the largest combined prize pool in esports history. 

$60.0 million. You read that right!

That's $60.0 million broken down into 4 categories: Club Championship, Game Championship, Qualifiers, and MVP Awards. 

The prize of the Club Championship was set at $20 million. This was distributed amongst the top 16 teams based on their performance. 

The Game Championships carry a combined prize of $33.8 million whereas teams will be competing for $7.6 million during the qualifying events. 

Finally, the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of every event was awarded an additional $1.1 million.

Furthermore, the allocation of the prize money depends on the game's popularity, complexity, and number of players. For instance, popular games with a greater audience can receive a larger share of the prize pool. 

The breakdown of the prize pool for individual games was as follows: 

• Apex Legends - $2,000,000 Prize Pool
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III - $1,800,000 Prize Pool 
• Call of Duty: Warzone - $1,000,000
• Counter-Strike 2 - $1,000,000
• Dota 2 - $5,000,000
• EA Sports FC 24 - $1,000,000
• Fortnite - $1,000,000
• Garena Free Fire - $1,000,000
• Honor of Kings - $3,000,000
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Men's - $3,000,000
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women's - $500,000
• League of Legends - $1,000,000
• Overwatch 2 - $1,000,000
• PUBG: Battlegrounds - $2,000,000
• PUBG Mobile - $3,000,000
• Rainbow Six Siege - $2,000,000
• Rennsport - $500,000
• Rocket League - $500,000
• StarCraft II - $1,000,000
• Street Fighter 6 - $1,000,000
• Teamfight Tactics - $500,000
• Tekken 8 - $1,000,000

Esports World Cup Club Program and Championship

The EWCF Club Support Program was designed to promote sustainable planning for esports organizations.

This innovative program provided an annual six-figure payout to support the operations of participating organizations, ensuring they have the resources needed to excel.

Additionally, financial rewards are based on their performance in driving viewership and fan engagement to the event.

The Club Championship was a cross-game competition that aggregated the individual game results of all participating organizations to crown a Club Champion.

The Club Championship at the 2024 Esports World Cup has a prize pool of $20,000,000 for the top 16 organizations.

The winning team receives a prize of $7,000,000, and the top 16 organizations in the Club Championship receive a share of the $20,000,000 prize pool.

This structure not only incentivizes excellence but also builds a competitive spirit among the participating organizations.

Side Tournaments and Events

In addition to the main tournament, the Esports World Cup features several side tournaments and events. This added an extra layer of excitement and engagement for fans and participants alike.

• The Legends Tournament brought together top teams and players from around the world to compete in a variety of esports disciplines, showcasing the best of the best.
• The Xtreme Gaming tournament was another highlight, featuring intense competitions in games like Rocket League and other popular esports titles.
• The Gaming Hall was a must-visit destination, where attendees met and greeted esports stars and content creators, and participated in gaming and esports activations.
• The ESL FACEIT Group also hosted a series of tournaments and events, including the highly anticipated Starcraft II tournament.

These side events not only enhance the overall experience but also provide additional opportunities for fan engagement and community building.

How to Watch Esports World Cup 2024

Esports tournaments 2024 are more than just a competition. They're a celebration of technology, talent, and strategy. 

Those who want to follow the Esports World Cup 2024 have 4 options: 

1. Buy tickets and witness it live in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2. Follow updates on the official EWC (Esports World Cup) Website
3. Follow the EWC’s social media platforms (YouTube, Twitch, Facebook) for updates
4. Make an account on ‘DAZN’ and stream for free

If you’re interested in buying tickets and going to witness the World Cup in person, you can purchase spectator tickets in the range of 15 SAR to 25 SAR (VAT included). 

Furthermore, there’s an ‘All-Access Pass’ available for 95 SAR that allows you to interact with the participants. 

Finally, there’s a 149 SAR option that gets you access to after-show concerts which are set to host big names like Wiz Khalifa, Jack Harlow, and DJ Snake. 

2024 Esports World Cup Winners

The 2024 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, showcased top-tier talent across various games. 

Here's a summary of the champions and standout players from each game:

1. Call of Duty: Warzone

• Champion: Team Falcons secured first place.
• Second Place: Team Fnatic.
• Third Place: Team Twisted Minds.
• MVP: 'Shifty' from Team Falcons led with 117 eliminations.

2. Garena Free Fire

• Champion: Team Falcons made a remarkable comeback to clinch the title.
• Second Place: Team EVOS Devine.
• Third Place: Team Netshoes Miners.
• MVP: 'Moshi' from Buriram United Esports stood out with 52 eliminations.

3. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Men's Division)

• Champion: Team Selangor Red Giants emerged victorious.
• Second Place: Team Falcons AP Bren.
• Third Place: Team Liquid Echo and Team Nip Flash (tied).
• MVP: 'Sekys' from Team Selangor Red Giants delivered a game-changing escape in Round 4.

4. League of Legends

• Champion: T1 claimed the top spot.
• Second Place: Top Esports.
• Third Place: Team Liquid and G2 Esports (tied).
• MVP: 'Faker' from T1 showcased exceptional versatility, leading his team to victory.

5. Dota 2

• Champion: Gaimin Gladiators secured first place.
• Second Place: Team Liquid.
• Third Place: Team Falcons.
• Fourth Place: Tundra Esports.

6. Counter-Strike 2

• Champion: Natus Vincere claimed the title.
• Second Place: G2 Esports.
• Third Place: MOUZ and Virtus.pro (tied).

7. PUBG Mobile

• Champion: Alpha7 Esports emerged victorious.
• Second Place: REJECT.
• Third Place: Tianba.
• Fourth Place: DRX.

8. Overwatch 2

• Champion: Crazy Raccoon took the top spot.
• Second Place: Toronto Ultra.
• Third Place: Team Falcons and ZETA DIVISION (tied).

9. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Women's Division)

• Champion: Omega Empress secured first place.
• Second Place: Team Vitality.
• Third Place: Team Falcons Vega and Victory Song Gamers (tied).

10. Apex Legends

• Champion: Alliance clinched the title.
• Second Place: Team Falcons.
• Third Place: Luminosity Gaming.
• Fourth Place: Gaimin Gladiators.

11. Rainbow Six: Siege

• Champion: Team BDS emerged as champions.
• Second Place: w7m esports.
• Third Place: Team Liquid and FURIA Esports (tied).

12. Honor of Kings

• Champion: KPL Dream Team took first place.
• Second Place: LGD Gaming MY.
• Third Place: Keyd Stars and All Gamers Global (tied).

13. Fortnite

• Champion: XSET claimed the top spot.
• Second Place: Exceed.
• Third Place: Heroic and Karmine Corp (tied).

14. Street Fighter 6

• Champion: Zeng "Xiao Hai" Zhuojun emerged victorious.
• Second Place: Masaki "Kawano" Kawano.
• Third Place: Toru "Tachikawa" Tachikawa and Tsunehiro "gachikun" Kanamori (tied).

15. Teamfight Tactics

• Champion: Wolves Esports secured first place.
• Second Place: T1.
• Third Place: Team Vitality and Twisted Minds (tied).

16. StarCraft II

• Champion: Clément "Clem" Desplanches took the title.
• Second Place: Joona "Serral" Sotala.
• Third Place: Park "Dark" Ryung-woo and Kim "herO" Joon-ho (tied).

17. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III

• Champion: Atlanta FaZe emerged as champions.
• Second Place: 100 Thieves.
• Third Place: OpTic Gaming and Vancouver Surge (tied).

18. EA Sports FC

• Champion: João "jafonsogv" Vasconcelos claimed first place.
• Second Place: Gabriel "Young" Freitas.
• Third Place: Paulo "PHzin" Chaves and Ahmad "AbuMakkah" Mujahid (tied).

19. Tekken 8

• Champion: Lim "ULSAN" Soo-hoon secured the title.
• Second Place: Atif "ATIF" Ijaz.
• Third Place: Benjamin "Yagami" Torngdee and Shoji "double" Takakubo (tied).

20. PUBG

• Champion: Soniqs emerged victorious.
• Second Place: Petrichor Road.
• Third Place: FaZe Clan.
• Fourth Place: TSM.

21. Rennsport (Team Competition)

• Champion: Team Redline took first place.
• Second Place: Team Vitality.
• Third Place: MOUZ.
• Fourth Place: Williams Esports.

22. Rennsport (Individual Competition)

• Champion: Kevin Siggy claimed the top spot.‍
• Second Place: Sebastian Job

To take a look at a recap of the Esports World Cup 2024 Champions, check out the video below:

What Roles Do Esports Platforms Play in the Tournament? 

Esports Platforms offer easy access to players, referees, and competition managers to access tournament matches. This allows them to keep track of players, match results, and more. 

These platforms serve as the ‘hub’ where Esports technologies are utilized to provide gamers with the perfect tournament platform. 

This hub allows you to set up matches, keep an eye on results, and progress winners according to your format. 

Some important roles Esports Platforms play in tournaments are: 

Tournament Management:

Esports platforms offer video gaming tournament event management to schedule matches between players with ease while deciding player/team brackets.  

Furthermore, these platforms allow sound coordination between teams and organizers and lead to an organized tournament. 

Team and Player Registration:

Esports management software also allows you to streamline the registration process. 

This software handles the verification of player identities and provides tools such as online registration forms, data collection, and payment processing. 

Live Streaming and Broadcasting:

Esports tournament apps provide integration with streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube to encourage live streaming of their events. 

This software also provides live score updates and real-time match commentary to keep viewers engaged. 

Audience Engagement:

Esports Gaming Competitions provide interactive features such as polls and chats to encourage audience feedback. 

Audience engagement is also encouraged through features like ‘fantasy league’ and social media integration with the platform. 

Analytics and Reporting:

Esports platforms provide detailed performance statistics and data analysis to help you manage your tournament in the best way. 

These include real-time match insights and post-tournament reports highlighting any issues that need to be addressed. 

Monetization:

Finally, Esports tournament platforms provide the bread and butter for your tournament platform - monetization. 

This is done through sponsorship and the integration of advertisements in your platform. Monetization is also boosted through merchandise, ticket sales, and in-app features. 

Get your Hands on Customized Esports Tournament Platform

Want to build an Esports tournament platform similar (or even better) to the Esports World Cup 2024? 

You’re in the right place as custom Esports tournament platform development could do the trick for your game’s community. 

At Phaedra Solutions, we specialize in creating custom-made Esports apps and microsites tailored to your requirements. 

Our developers and designers utilize cutting-edge Esports technology with agile software development methodology to ensure seamless operations.

Moreover, our platforms are user-friendly, scalable, and equipped with robust security measures to ensure your Esports event gets feature-packed software.

Working with Phaedra for Esports platform software development will get you: 

• Tailored Esports software solution 
• Exciting features like leaderboards, live streaming, and prizes for audience
• Scrimmage for same player difficulty match ups
• Cutting-edge Technology (like React.js or Nest.js)
• Detailed Analytics and Reports 
• Audience Engagement via Surveys and Polls
• Privacy of Data and Robust Security Measures 

Get in touch with us to kickstart your custom esports tournament platform with the features you need to engage with your game’s community. 

Final Verdict 

If we look at esports vs sports viewership statistics, we’ll find that the number of people watching livestream gaming content is expected to reach 1.6bn users by 2027. 

These numbers are beginning to overshadow entire sports industries. So, it’s safe to say that the Esports World Cup 2024 is set to leave a lasting legacy. A record-breaking prize pool of $62.5 million not only signifies the industry’s rapid growth but also promises a bright future for Esports Gaming Competitions 2024. 

This event has encouraged grassroots Esports initiatives, boosted community involvement, and connected Esports professionals worldwide. Looking ahead, the Esports industry will certainly inspire growth and innovation in online gaming tournaments. 

Partnering with experts like Phaedra Solutions for Esports tournaments platform development ensures your future in this thriving industry will be just as bright!

Want to learn more about how Phaedra can help you generate money from an Esports mobile app? Read this article.