Riot Games has signed a three-year partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation to bring a trio of titles to the hyper-valuable event. From this year, League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and most importantly, VALORANT will appear at the Esports World Cup event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
This will mark the first time that VALORANT has appeared at the event, as last year during the inaugural showcase, the game failed to surface.
‘The Cultural Impact of Competitive Gaming’
The Esports World Cup is the biggest modern event in competitive gaming. It boasts a collective prize pool worth tens of millions of dollars, and it plays host to the industry’s biggest games and most talented players. For many, it’s an immoral event seen as ‘esportswashing’ and nothing more, but for others, it’s a monumental thing that’s set to become a staple of the wider business.
In a recent release, it was revealed that VALORANT will appear alongside League and TFT at the Esports World Cup 2025. During 2024’s event, VALORANT didn’t appear, so this will be the first time that the game has a place at the EWC:
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 the 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
– Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer at EWCF.
Riot Games representatives explained that last year was an evaluation of sorts, and that’s why VALORANT wasn’t one of the games to appear at the Esports World Cup in 2024. In a post, the team explained, ‘The feedback we got from players and teams who participated last year was positive. The event’s significant prize pool offered crucial financial support for them, providing stability at a time when many esports organizations were working toward a stronger future.’
Are you excited to see VALORANT appear at this year’s Esports World Cup? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming esports, check out the news that Vitality has won at IEM Katowice
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