Massive Prize Pool Coming to Esports World Cup

It’s pretty common to see esports news coming out multiple times a day now, but it’s very rare to see that news published on major international news sites. That was the case on Tuesday as it was announced that the Esports World Cup is going to feature a massive prize pool. 

The Esports World Cup Foundation has been leaking news over the last few months, but this latest development was the biggest up to this point. This event will be spread out over eight weeks, and there will be up to $60 million in total prize money handed out. 

Riyadhi, Saudi Arabia is going to be the location where all of this action takes place, and some of the top players and teams from this industry are expected to show up. This will be an event in which fans are allowed to attend, and tickets are already being sold. 

More than $33 million of the total prize money will be handed out in the team competitions, while other money will go for individual players. This industry has been hit hard by layoffs over the last few years, but this prize pool from this group is going to set a record. 

Industry Shrinking or Growing?

Some of the top esports developers have had to make some difficult financial decisions of late, and that has hurt some of the top competitions as well. The Esports World Cup will aim to change that, but it’s not going to fix some of the serious issues that are out there. 

Sponsors have also cut back in a big way, and that is something that a number of competitive esports organizations have had to monitor. It has been harder to put together live events, and that has hurt the prize money handed out as well. 

This group from Saudi Arabia does not have to worry about getting funds from sponsors, and that is one reason why this event could be a massive success. Not only is this group hoping to have success at the first ever Esports World Cup, but there will likely be more events coming. 

Close to 3 million fans are expected to attend this event during the course of the eight weeks and a massive esports arena has been constructed. The Gamers8 event was held in Saudi Arabia a year ago, and that came with a prize pool of $45 million. 

There will also be some concerts taking place throughout this event, and it’s going to be one that puts the world of esports on the map. 

More Details Emerging

The official schedule for the Esports World Cup has not yet been announced, but that is expected to be the next big announcement before the action begins. Games continue to be added to the list as well, and that will make it more difficult to get everything in during the eight-week span. 

Some of the developers of certain games have decided to cede some control when it comes to their games as things will be played out in different formats. Most of the traditional rules or game play options will be used throughout the Esports World Cup.

It’s unclear if the list of games is now set, or if there will still be more added before the action begins. There is already an impressive group of games that are confirmed, and there are some great mobile games set to be played as well. 

League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, and Dota 2 are three of the biggest games set to be played, but there are others on the list.