HRH Crown Prince Awards Team Falcons as Champions of Esports World Cup 2025
Image used for illustrative purpose. Photo: SPA
Riyadh: Team Falcons are the new champions of the Esports World Cup 2025, held in Riyadh. His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, crowned the team during the grand closing ceremony on Sunday night.
Team Falcons finished first in the tournament with 5,200 points and took home the biggest prize of $7 million. The total prize pool was more than $70 million, making it the largest in esports history.
The Esports World Cup 2025 lasted seven weeks and brought together 2,000 professional players from 200 clubs in 100 countries. They competed in 25 of the world’s most popular video games. The event broke records in the number of tournaments, prize money, and audience engagement.
More than 3 million people visited Boulevard Riyadh City to enjoy the competitions, while 750 million viewers from around the world followed online. Together, fans watched over 350 million hours of exciting matches. The tournament was broadcast in 35 languages across more than 100 countries.
The Esports World Cup is part of Saudi Arabia’s big plan to grow gaming and esports under Vision 2030. This plan, launched by the Crown Prince in 2022, aims to create 39,000 jobs, boost the economy by SAR 50 billion, and attract global investment in gaming.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, praised Saudi Arabia’s success in making the tournament a world-class event. He highlighted the mix of top-level competitions, fun entertainment, and strong international participation.
The Kingdom’s efforts show its growing role as a global hub for gaming and esports. With a 53% rise in ticket sales, a 40% increase in content demand, and 64% growth in international sales compared to last year, the 2025 edition set new standards for esports events.
The Esports World Cup was first announced by the Crown Prince in 2023 and hosted in Riyadh in 2024 with great success. Now, the 2025 edition has raised the bar even higher, strengthening Riyadh’s position as the world capital of esports.
