2025 Esports World Cup Betting Preview

By Hank Blaine • July 9, 2025

The 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC)—the second annual edition of Saudi Arabia’s multi-game eSports extravaganza—will take place from July 8 to August 24 in Riyadh. With a staggering $70–71 million prize pool, this event already ranks as the largest in eSports history.

A Closer Look at the 2025 Esports World Cup

The countdown hits its final hours. ⏳

Get the full breakdown before the action begins at the 2025 Esports World Cup.

Are you ready? pic.twitter.com/ZkNJ8Qm8q5
— Esports World Cup (@EWC_EN) July 6, 2025

EWC 2025 continues Saudi Arabia’s aggressive push into gaming and entertainment under its Vision 2030 initiative—capping a record-breaking global spectacle. By uniting mainstream games like Valorant and CS:GO with niche competitions like Chess and Racing, the tournament blurs the line between traditional sports, classic games, and eSports. It’s a bold statement of ambition that bolsters e-sports into the realm of traditional sports like baseball, basketball, and football.

New Lineup for EWC 2025

EWC 2025 expands its roster to 25 titles across 26 tournaments, including several exciting newcomers:

Chess makes its debut with a $1.5 million prize pool, and chess superstars like Magnus Carlsen and Arjun Erigaisi are expected to compete.
Valorant, Crossfire, and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves all return with action that promises to be fast and furious.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and EA Sports FC 25 represent the latest annual iterations in their respective franchises. Both are crowd favorites.

2025 Esports World Cup Full Title Roster

Fans can expect a thrilling mix of genres:

Battle Arenas & FPS: Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, Rainbow Six Siege X, Crossfire, Call of Duty: BO6 & Warzone, PUBG: Battlegrounds, PUBG Mobile, Apex Legends, Overwatch 2
MOBAs & Strategic Duels: Dota 2, League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang – both men’s and women’s divisions
Sports & Racing: EA Sports FC 25, Rennsport
Fighting & Action: Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Free Fire, Rocket League, StarCraft II
Classic Board & New Age: Chess

2025 Esports World Cup Tournament Structure & Stakes

Game Championships: A total of $38 million is allocated across individual game titles for first-place glory.
Club Championship: The top-performing esports organizations across multiple titles compete for a $27 million communal prize pool—a format unique to EWC. Clubs must finish in the top 8 in at least two games to qualify, with further ranking based on consistent results.
Qualifiers & MVP Awards: Over $5 million is allocated to qualifying tournaments, and approximately $450,000 is reserved for MVP honors.

2025 Esports World Cup Tournament Calendar & Venues

Spanning seven intense weeks, EWC will launch with an opening ceremony on July 8. The competition calendar is staggered to showcase clusters of games:

Week 1: Apex Legends, Dota 2, Fatal Fury, Rennsport, Valorant
Week 2: Dota 2, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, League of Legends, Mobile Legends (Women)
Week 3: Call of Duty BO6, Honor of Kings, Mobile Legends (Men), PUBG Mobile, StarCraft II
Week 4: Chess, Overwatch 2, and continuing group play for MLBB

Subsequent weeks will bring the rest of the roster—including Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, Counter-Strike 2, Rocket League, and more—toward their finals.

What to Watch for at the 2025 Esports World Cup Tournament

Valorant: A first-time EWC inclusion featuring 16 elite teams battling for $1.25 million and Radianite Club points.
Dota 2: The linchpin of the early summer stretch, this ESL Pro Tour finale could rival TI in prestige.
Chess: Traditional minds vs modern esports systems—Carlsen, Nepo, and Hikaru on the same stage as pro gamers.
Club Showdown: Will fan-favorite organizations like Team Liquid, Fnatic, T1, and others dominate the aggregate standings?

The 2025 Esports World Cup is more than a collection of tournaments—it’s a curated celebration of gaming culture, real and digital, ambition, and spectacle. Whether you’re rooting for your favorite FPS juggernaut, MOBAs, fighting legends, or board game virtuosos, Riyadh is poised to deliver a summer of unforgettable competition.

How to Get Start Betting on Esports at our Crypto Sportsbook with Nitrobetting

Getting started with Nitrobetting is easy and simple:

Create an Account

Deposit Funds

Choose your preferred cryptocurrency to fund your account. Our platform supports a variety of popular crypto options.

Hit the Sportsbook

Head to Esports → World Cup 2025 in our crypto sportsbook. You’ll find upcoming matches, futures, maps, and prop markets.

Start Betting and Winning

Choose your game of preference, place your bets and get on a roll at Nitrobetting.

Join the Nitrobetting Community

At Nitrobetting, we’re more than just a betting platform—we’re a community of enthusiasts passionate about eSports crypto betting. Whether you’re here for the thrill of playing or exploring our extensive range of eSports games, you’ll find everything you need to make your experience unforgettable.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today, and take your eSports betting experience to the next level at Nitrobetting. Start betting and winning today!