In a historic move, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) awarded the champions of the first-ever esports world cup in Riyadh.
Over the past 8 weeks, clubs and players from across the globe came together in Riyadh to compete in the first-ever esports world cup. With a total prize pool of over 60 million USD, the event attracted around 500 teams and 1,500 professional players, marking it as the largest event in Esports history, as the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
In a proud moment for the Kingdom, the Crown Prince crowned the Saudi club “Team Falcons” as Esports World Cup 2024 champions. The Falcons secured 7 million USD in prize money, emerging as the top club in this historic competition.
Team Falcons led the rankings with 5,665 points earned across 12 tournaments achieving first place in both the “Call of Duty: Warzone” and “Free Fire” championships. This victory showcases the Kingdom’s exceptional national talent in the esports sector.
This event, uniting the gaming and esports communities brought together players fans, game developers, and publishers worldwide, marking a significant milestone for the esports industry.
The esports world cup set record-breaking milestones. It attracted over two million visitors, contributing to a 29% increase in visitors to the country’s capital during the event period compared to the same timeframe the previous year.
The event also featured more than 32 side entertainment and cultural activities. Across its eight-week run, the esports world cup recorded more than 500 million viewers, totalling more than 250 million hours watched—setting a new global record for this year.
The gaming and esports sector is among the fastest-growing industries worldwide, with the global market reaching approximately 200 billion USD in 2023. This success continues the kingdom’s 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.
Watch the Crown Prince attend the closing ceremony
Crown Prince awards the Saudi Team Falcons as champions
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