RIYADH: Under the esteemed patronage of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the inaugural Esports World Cup successfully concluded today in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
According to the SPA, over the last 8 weeks, clubs and players from across the world came together in Riyadh to compete in the first-ever Esports World Cup. With a total prize pool of more than $60 million, the event attracted about 500 teams and 1,500 professional players, marking it as the largest event in Esports history.
In a proud moment for the Kingdom, HRH the Crown Prince crowned the Saudi club “Team Falcons” as champions of the Esports World Cup 2024. The Falcons secured a total of $7 million in prize money, emerging as the top club in this historic competition.
The SPA reported that team Falcons led the rankings with 5,665 points earned across 12 tournaments, achieving first position in both the “Call of Duty: Warzone” and “Free Fire” championships. This victory showcases the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) exceptional national talent in the esports sector.
This event, uniting the gaming and esports community, brought together players, game developers, fans, and publishers from across the world, marking a significant milestone for the esports industry.
With its unique multi-game and multi-genre format, the competition not only featured tournaments among the world’s top clubs, but also strengthened efforts by various entities within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and globally to advance the esports landscape. It also highlighted the positive impact of esports on communities, enhanced cultural exchange, and encouraged brands to recognize esports as a promising and vital investment opportunity.
The SPA reported that the Esports World Cup set record-breaking milestones. It also attracted more than two million visitors, contributing to over 29% increase in visitors to Riyadh during the mega event period compared to the same timeframe the last year. The event also featured over 32 side entertainment and cultural activities. Across its eight-week run, the Esports World Cup also recorded over 500 million viewers, totaling over 250 million hours watched—setting a new international record for this year.
The gaming and esports sector is among the fastest-increasing industries worldwide, with the international market reaching approximately $200 billion in 2023. This also success continues the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) tradition of hosting major events and activities, solidifying its position as a premier global destination. These efforts include hosting the Esports World Cup and the recently announced Olympic Esports Games in 2025, the SPA added.
This highlights the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) commitment to not only developing and elevating this promising sector, but also to delivering on the goals of Vision 2030. These goals include diversifying the economy, boosting promising sectors, and offering world-class entertainment for citizens, residents and visitors alike. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) dedication to the National Gaming and Esports Strategy, launched by HRH the Crown Prince in September 2022, is evident in its efforts to position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for this industry by 2030. The success of the Esports World Cup marks a significant step forward in the realization of this ambition, the SPA further reported.
