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This week, the Esports World Cup Foundation announced the initial five games featured in the inaugural Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this summer. Honor of Kings, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and StarCraft II join the Summer 2024 program, reflecting EWC’s commitment to uniting diverse gaming communities for a global event.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of Esports World Cup Foundation, said:
With a mix of storied PC games and some of the biggest mobile esports titles in the world, Esports World Cup captures the past, present, and future of esports. StarCraft II, Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Honor of Kings are all outstanding titles for the Esports World Cup. From the games that foundationally defined this industry, to the premier mobile titles beloved by a new wave of gamers, we are building the World Cup to connect with and elevate clubs, players, fans, and the entire esports community.
The initial lineup includes three games integral to esports’ global rise. StarCraft and Dota, with rich histories, shaped early esports ecosystems. Counter-Strike 2, a revered title for 25 years, signifies a new era in its enduring popularity in the esports world.
Honor of Kings, the top-played mobile MOBA, joins the Esports World Cup lineup. With a $15 million commitment, it aims to enhance the international esports ecosystem, hosting over 1000 events in 2024 for its full global launch later this year.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang leads the charge in mobile gaming, utilizing platform accessibility and the flexibility to host top-tier competitions anywhere with a 5G signal. With widespread viewership, it taps into an underserved yet diverse esports fan base, shaping a new frontier in competitive gaming.
The Esports World Cup aims to unite diverse platforms, genres, and fans for an unprecedented celebration of gaming as a global sport. Through initiatives like the EWC Foundation’s Club Program and social media reveals of participating publishers and games, the tournament seeks to foster cross-game competition, connecting audiences with their favorite titles, creating new fandom opportunities, and hosting world-class tournaments across multiple games. As regions integral to esports history converge, the campaign showcases the rise of esports as a global phenomenon, culminating in the Esports World Cup in summer 2024.
Revealed titles include: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Shanghai, China), Dota 2 (Seattle, Washington, USA), StarCraft II (Seoul, South Korea), Counter-Strike 2 (Cologne, Germany), and Honor of Kings (Shenzhen, China), with more to be announced soon.