The Esports World Cup is one of the most ambitious events in esports history. It’s a monumental undertaking that brings together hundreds of competitors, dozens of games and exhibitions, and hundreds of thousands of fans. It’s the most valuable event in the ecosystem, and it unfolds over a window spanning almost two months.
I recently caught up with the Esports World Cup Foundation’s Chief Games Officer, Fabian Scheuermann, to learn what goes into pulling together so many games for this stellar event.
‘Even More Unmissable Experiences’
It’s easy to see why some games are featured on the largest stages at the Esports World Cup. Titles like Counter-Strike, League of Legends, and Rainbow Six are stalwart inclusions in the esports space. However, a lineup of a whopping 25 games at the 2025 Esports World Cup means that not everything will have the brightest spotlight shone upon it.
I was curious to see if the Esports World Cup Foundation used a tiering system of any kind when it came to selecting games to shoehorn into the Esports World Cup ecosystem when I caught up with Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer.
When we consider game selection for the Esports World Cup, we look at three primary factors: performance, its existing ecosystem, and publisher support.
When grading an esport’s performance, we’re specifically looking at its viewership and attendance figures to grade its audience. When looking at existing ecosystems, we look at how long they’ve been around, how many teams are participating, and the number and scope of first and third-party tournaments.
Finally we consider the strength of support coming from the publisher and how strong our partnership with them will be.
There isn’t a formal “tier system,” but we do recognize that each game brings different audiences, formats, experiences, and competitive legacies.
This year’s competition has been expanded to include games like FATAL Fury: City of the Wolves and Chess. These titles feed into the Club Championship, which represents a stunning opportunity for esports organisations. Dozens of brands come forward to compete for their share of a $20 million prize.
Fabian was quick to point out that even games that aren’t considered top-tier esports titles still have a stage on which to entertain visitors and viewers:
Even if a game doesn’t make it to the Club Championship level, the EWC is still proudly hosting many excellent titles at the EWC Festival, like Naraka: Bladepoint and GeoGuessr. Through the Festival we get to host even more world-class competitors and competitions, and provide fans with even more unmissable experiences.
This year’s Esports World Cup promises more drama, high-stakes matches, and face-offs between some of the most prolific organisations in the esports world.
Do you plan on watching any Esports World Cup action? Let me know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that LA Thieves tops the CDL standings
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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