Saudi Arabia: The Rising Esports Capital of the World

Fireworks – EWC 2025

Image credit: TNT Sports

At the heart of this ongoing revolution lies the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC), a tournament that has put Riyadh as the undisputed centre of competitive gaming worldwide.

The 2025 Esports World Cup is the largest gathering in esports history, featuring 200 Clubs, 2,000 players, 25 tournaments across 24 games, and a record-breaking $70+ million prize pool. Running from July through August, EWC features a unique cross-game format that pits the top esports Clubs against one another for the largest prize pool in esports history.

From Oil to Digital Dominance

The Kingdom’s esports ambitions are rooted in the Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s transformative blueprint for economic diversification. The strategy aims to set up 250 game companies locally, creating 39,000 jobs and raising the sector’s contribution to Saudi GDP to 50 billion riyals by 2030.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been aiming to diversify its economy away from oil and foster cultural vibrancy by investing in various sectors as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative. Football, gaming and esports is a perfect convergence of technological innovation, youth engagement, and economic opportunity that aligns seamlessly with the Kingdom’s modernisation goals. 

The Homegrown Champions

Team Falcons is a Saudi Arabian esports Club that has become a symbol of the Kingdom’s gaming pride across multiple titles. Team Falcons won the Overwatch Champion Series (OWCS) Midseason Championship at Esports World Cup 2025, becoming the first ever team to win the Jafonso award after qualifying to the tournament through the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ).

Named after João “jafonso” Vasconcelos, the first and only player to win an EWC tournament via last chance qualifiers in 2024, the award honours teams who arrive in Riyadh unseeded and go on to win the entire event.

They are the current defending champions, winning last year’s inaugural Esports World Cup following dominant performances across the board, and are in the lead at the midway point of this year’s competition.

Building a Sustainable Gaming Ecosystem

Saudi Arabia plans to grow its own game studios, secure publishing rights, and invest in next-generation tech such as AR, VR and AI productivity tools to build a full-fledged gaming industry.

The Kingdom’s strategy recognises that true industry leadership requires sustainable infrastructure, local talent development, and technological innovation. Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a consumer of gaming content and a major producer.

Global Impact

The Kingdom’s goal of establishing 250 gaming companies by 2030 is already becoming a reality. As these companies develop ‘Made in Saudi Arabia’ gaming products, they’ll contribute to the Kingdom’s export economy. They’ve shown that with vision, investment, and execution, nations can become leaders in the digital economy’s most dynamic sectors.

Source: https://www.tntsports.co.uk/