Multi-title esports festival Esports World Cup has announced that StarCraft II and Counter-Strike 2 tournaments will be held at this year’s event in Saudi Arabia.
Details surrounding the CS2 event have been scarce. However, it has been revealed that the winner of IEM Katowice 2024, which is currently underway, will receive a direct invite to the tournament.
More information has been revealed for the StarCraft II event. The 2024 ESL Pro Tour Championship will be a five-day event that features 18 players. Winners of the SC2 Masters Summer and Winter — Serral and Clem, respectively, have already qualified with the top four and IEM Katowice and ESL SC2 Master Spring receiving invites. The remaining players will qualify through regional standings and open qualifiers.
The Esports World Cup is an ‘esports festival’ featuring events in multiple esports titles, taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Esports World Cup is organised by the Esports World Cup Foundation, which is funded by the Saudi Arabian government.
Details surrounding the prize pools of CS2 and StraCraft II’s Esports World Cup events have not been revealed. However, esports tournament operator ESL FACEIT Group, which is operating the events, has noted that the StarCraft II event will be the ‘largest prize pool’ the title has ever seen.
The exact number of teams that will compete in the Esports World Cup Counter Strike 2 event has not been disclosed.
The two titles joining Mobile Legends: Bang Bang as announced titles for the Esports World Cup. The mobile MOBA will hold its Mid Season Cup at the event, with the title recording its largest-ever prize pool of $3m (~£2.36m). Other titles are expected to be announced for the Esports World Cup in the near future, with reports noting that League of Legends could have a tournament.
The Esports World Cup is part of Saudi Arabia’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy. The launch of the Esports World Cup, alongside Saudi Arabia’s investment in the esports space, has come under fire from the community for so-called ‘esportswashing’. The term has been used to describe the country’s alleged attempt to distract from its human rights records surrounding LGBTQ+ rights and women’s rights.
