How Riyadh is becoming a global hub for esports, elevating an entire ecosystem worldwide
By Brian Ward, CEO, Savvy Games Group
If you are in Riyadh these days or watch the news online, you will see that the city at the heart of Saudi’s Vision 2030 transformation is showcasing another remarkable attraction this summer. This one is set to capture the attention of more than 640 million esports fans, around the world, for an impressive of eight weeks.
For the second consecutive year, Riyadh is hosting the Esports World Cup (EWC), which is now the largest esports tournament and festival in the world. It boasts a record-breaking prize pool of over US$70 million. More than just a competition, the event is a cultural experience featuring global icons – including Cristiano Ronaldo, Post Malone, and Tony Hawk – and is designed to engage both esports fans and the public.
When it comes to designing and executing the actual esports competitions, ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), one of Savvy’s business units and the world’s leading esports company, is the exclusive operator of the EWC, helping to deliver a successful spectacle for fans, competitors, and partners.
The EFG and EWC partnership plays an essential role in elevating esports on the global stage, moving the esports industry – and its whole ecosystem – from something that has historically been niche, to a specific audience closer to the cultural mainstream, unlocking new opportunities for professional teams, players, and the wider community.
The Esports World Cup: What does it take?
Operating the EWC is a grand endeavor, comparable to designing and executing large events in traditional sports such as tennis, football, or basketball.
When it comes to esports events, EFG is the only organization in the world capable of successfully pulling off an event of the World Cup’s scale, given its experience and expertise in producing in-person and online esports events, all over the world, for the last 25 years.
If you really think about it, the EWC is absolutely astonishing in sheer numbers: eight weeks of non-stop action, where professional teams are battling in a high-stake contest every single day; 24 different games, each of which has their own tournament format, rules, and scheduling; and, 2,000 players from over 200 clubs.
It takes an enormous amount of planning, technical work, and carefully synced coordination to ensure the fans and audience have a great viewing experience, regardless of whether they are attending the tournament in person or watching online through Twitch or YouTube. EWC 2025 is being broadcast in 35 different languages with more than 90 media partners, reaching fans in 140 countries, with 7,000 hours of live broadcasting content, second only to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in global sports history.
Hosting events like this includes highly complex operational requirements. And – most important – the community-first approach in designing and executing these events are where EFG excels, and plays an integral role in the overall success of the EWC and its positive contribution to the growth of the wider esports industry going forward.
Having established a regional hub in Riyadh, EFG is enabling the capital city of Saudi Arabia to become a global esports capital, but also helping develop and grow domestic capability in esports event production and management, leveraging a young, talented population of gamers, and building in-country skills and expertise.
More Than a Tournament
Despite the impressive scale, and the fact that it is the largest ever esports competition in history, the EWC is more than just a massive tournament – it is a statement on the growth of esports and the role it can – and will – play in shaping the way people consume entertainment in the future.
Last year, it drew more than 500 million viewers globally, and we expect that number to grow in 2025. This impressive viewership – along with the hardcore fandom that you see in esports – signals that esports is no longer so niche; it is not temporary, nor is it limited to small screens or modest audiences. It’s part of the architecture of modern entertainment, and I believe it is here to stay – and grow.
The recognition, and acknowledgment, of this trend in entertainment is part of the reason why brands are increasingly looking to esports to better connect with the digitally native generations who consume games and esports content on a regular basis. For example, EFG has established over 130 partnerships with some of the world’s most premier and well-known brands, including Intel, Red Bull, DHL, and even Lamborghini.
A Vision Beyond the Arena
Just as London is synonymous with Wimbledon, or Paris with Roland-Garros, Riyadh is fast becoming the city the world looks to each summer for the pinnacle of esports. As part of Saudi Arabia’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy and Vision 2030, the EWC is delivering real local impact - from a 30 per cent surge in tourism last year, to homegrown teams like Team Falcons inspiring the next generation, to Saudi talent supporting production behind the scenes.
I applaud and congratulate the Esports World Cup Foundation, ably supported by EFG, for putting on this year’s EWC and for their tremendous achievements to date. This event cements Riyadh as a global hub for esports, and shows the world that a grand ambition can be brought to reality, with remarkable success.
Brian Ward is Group CEO of Savvy Games, a wholly owned company of the PIF. EFG, Scopely, and Steer are wholly owned subsidiaries of Savvy