Riyadh:
The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 officially kicked off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on July 6, marking the start of a seven-week esports celebration. With over 2,000 competitors from 84 countries, the event is one of the largest global gaming showcases to date, featuring a total prize pool of $70 million (nearly ₹580 crore).
The opening ceremony, headlined by global music superstar Post Malone, also saw appearances from top celebrities including chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, streamer Tyler1, and NFL legend Osi Umenyiora, underscoring the EWC’s ambition to blend gaming, entertainment, and pop culture.
Esports World Cup 2025 India participation:
This year, Indian esports organization S8UL Esports is participating across multiple disciplines, highlighting India’s growing presence in global esports. S8UL has qualified for EWC events in Apex Legends and EA FC 25. Additionally, Aaron ‘Happy’ Rivera will compete in the FC Pro 25 Play-ins for one of the remaining EWC slots. In chess, Indian stars Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram are set to compete in a Last Chance Qualifier from July 24 to 26.
S8UL’s campaign in Riyadh is further strengthened by a major sponsorship from smartphone brand iQOO, which now becomes its official title sponsor. The brand partnership extends from S8UL’s existing collaboration on Battlegrounds Mobile India, with the team now branded as Team iQOO SOUL.
VIDEO | Here’s what Animesh ‘Thug’ Agarwal (@8bit_thug), Co-Founder and CEO of S8UL, said about E-sports World Cup and changes being done to promote it among fans in India:
“We are very excited about our Esports World Cup campaign. In the coming months, we will introduce… pic.twitter.com/ZMikvjxsvc
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 1, 2025
However, S8UL faced a setback as its Mobile Legends Bang Bang roster was disqualified from the Mid-Season Cup 2025 at EWC. This followed a ruling by MOONTON Games citing a breach of tournament rules after certain players participated in an Honor of Kings event.
Indian representation also extends beyond S8UL, with chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa competing as part of Team Liquid’s global lineup. Arjun Erigaisi represents team Gen.G having signed up in April 2025
With Indian players and organizations featuring prominently, the EWC 2025 highlights the country’s growing ambition in competitive gaming. The next seven weeks promise to be a showcase of skill and strategy on the world’s biggest esports stage.