- The Esports World Cup premiering in summer 2024 in Riyadh was announced at the action-packed conference, attended by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia
- Speakers at the event included HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud, Minister of Sport, HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, Cristiano
- Industry leaders echo support and enthusiasm for the upcoming tournament, set to unite publishers, players, and fans
The inaugural New Global Sport Conference co-hosted by the Saudi Esports Federation and Saudi Arabia Ministry of Sport, featured industry heavy weights including Cristiano Ronaldo, Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, Toshimoto Mitomo, Executive Vice President at Sony and Justin Yuan, CEO of Moonton Games.
Speakers discussed the convergence of esports and sports, the growing global gaming audience and identifying ways to unlock the full potential of the growing sector. The conference attendees were the first to witness the unveiling of the Esports World Cup trophy on stage. Ralf Reichert, co-founder of ESL was appointed as the CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation as its CEO.
Speaking at the event Ralf Reichert, newly appointed CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation said: “My purpose was always to build something for the players, so it becomes an industry. And although I think esports is in good shape, it still misses a global stage for all players across games and for those superstars. The Esports World Cup is the next logical evolution, this is the real deal, this is what can bring the industry together and forward.”
Danny Tang Co-founder of VSPO commented on the announcement: “It’s a momentous announcement and a huge moment for our industry, not only for participants like us but also for fans worldwide. An investment of this scale and commitment of this kind, provides multiple opportunities and opens up new experiences for the players and fans. For everyone that works in esports, it is a strong reminder of why we are here – to build something that connects people across the world.”
Jasmine Skee, CEO of Guild Esports added: “The Esports World Cup is an exciting milestone for the esports industry because it is all about supporting teams, which is an important factor for Guild Esports. What is just as important is that both the current crop of pro-players and the budding esports talent of this generation now have a clear pinnacle of the sport to aspire to. To finally have that within esports is incredibly meaningful.”
