The Esports World Cup Foundation, the organizer behind the Esports World Cup, has announced a partnership with game publisher Riot Games. The announcement will see the two companies collaborate on a three-year deal, bringing Riot Games’ League of Legends, VALORANT, and Teamfight Tactics to the 2025 Esports World Cup.
Esports World Cup x Riot Games – League of Legends, VALORANT, and TFT added to the competition
EWC x Riot Games partnership will also see global commercial activations in Riot Games’ global events, featuring in-broadcast activations at some of the major competitions leading up to the EWC. The first activations will be broadcast during the upcoming VCT Masters Bangkok, which will take place starting from February 20, 2025.
The three game titles will increase the total number of competitions to 23 (across 22 games), breaking the previous record of 22 in 2024. According to the release, more game titles are expected to be announced ahead of the start of the competition.
League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics were already featured in last year’s edition, while VALORANT will have its first edition this upcoming summer when teams will compete in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. That said, a release has stated that the competition will not be linked to the current VCT structure. Details about the format and schedule are yet to be confirmed.
The ties between Riot Games and Esports World Cup deepens
Last year, the League of Legends EWC tournament saw eight teams being selected to compete, featuring the top two teams from the Spring Split of the four major regions (LEC, LCS, LPL, and LCK). In the end, it was T1 who came out victorious, winning a total of $400,000, with Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok earning an additional $50,000 as the MVP.
In TFT, the best players in the world competed under 16 organizations through a qualification system, with four teams from four different regions (EMEA, America, APAC, and China). Chinese team Wolves Esports defeated T1 in the Grand Final, taking home the $200,000 prize pool. The MVP was Li “LiShao” Chengyu.
It’s worth noting that in 2024, Riot Games officially sanctioned the competition but it was not sponsored or endorsed by them, as the company always kept a cautious behavior regarding its involvement with the EWC. This was mainly caused by the involvement of the Saudi Arabian government in the gaming and esports industries. In fact, the Esports World Cup Foundation is funded by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which also has several other esports companies, including ESL FACEIT Group and China’s Hero Esports (through investment company Savvy Games Group).
Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer, Esports World Cup Foundation stated:
“Riot Games has shaped the cultural impact of competitive gaming, transforming esports into a global entertainment force, with League of Legends’ iconic World Championship – which continues to set new standards for immersive experiences, VALORANT’s cultural collaborations, and Teamfight Tactics’ community-driven events, Riot has pioneered an ecosystem far beyond competition. By bringing these titles to the Esports World Cup, we are not just celebrating elite gameplay – we are, together, expanding esports as a global entertainment movement, creating deeper connections with fans across gaming, music, and digital culture.”
