Riyadh Masters 2025

The Esports World Cup returns in 2025, with Riyadh Masters 2025 serving as the final championship of the third season of the ESL Pro Tour. This tournament acts as a “secondary TI” with millions of dollars in prize money up for grabs. 

Riyadh Masters 2025 Tournament Format

Lifting the trophy in Riyadh isn’t as simple as other events, as the tournament will feature a more complex format that includes three stages:

• Group Stage: 16 teams are divided into four groups. All matches will be played in Best of 2 format. The top team from each group advances to the Playoffs, while the remaining teams advance to the Elimination Phase. 
• Elimination Phase: Teams are weeded out before the Playoffs through a Gauntlet Bracket. The fourth and third-place finishers from groups will face off against each other, with the winner taking on the second seed. At the end, only four teams will advance to the Playoffs.
• Playoffs: With eight teams remaining, competitors will duke it out in a single-elimination bracket, meaning there is no room for error. All matches will be played in Best of 3, except for the Grand Final, which will be played in Best of 5.

Unlike previous iterations of the event, the EWC foundation decided to spice things up with a single-elimination bracket for the highest stakes possible. 

Riyadh Masters 2025 Venue

Riyadh Masters 2025 will be held at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Boulevard Riyadh City arena will serve as the battleground for the event, a 220-acre mixed-use development that contains high-end retail and entertainment outlets. 

All Riyadh Masters 2025 Teams

Riyadh Masters will feature 16 teams. The full list of participants have yet to be confirmed, but six teams have already punched tickets to the events:

• PARIVISION
• Team Spirit
• BetBoom Team
• Team Falcons
• Team Liquid
• Gaimin Gladiators

How Can Teams Make It To The Event?

The top eight teams in the EPT Leaderboard will be directly invited to the event. As of now, only the top five have guaranteed their spots at Riyadh. Once the EPT Season ends, we’ll find out which three other teams will secure a spot at the event. 

Meanwhile, the Gaimin Gladiators received an automatic invite, as they are the defending champions of the event. 

Aside from the remaining EPT invitations, the rest of the teams will be decided through regional qualifiers which include every region: CN, WEU, EEU, MESWA, SEA, NA, and SA. 

Riyadh Masters 2025 Prize Pool Distribution

The tournament organizers are yet to reveal how the prize money is distributed. However, it is confirmed that the tournament will have $3,000,000 up for grabs. In the previous iteration, the Gaimin Gladiators took home 30% of the total prize pool for winning the event.

How To Watch Riyadh Masters 2025

Riyadh Masters 2025 matches will be streamed on most streaming platforms, namely YouTube and Twitch, on the official Esports World Cup channels. 

With the event being held in a LAN format, streamers can also hold their own watch parties and watch the games with minimal delay, likely anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds.