Riot Games Joins Forces with Esports World Cup for 2025 Tournament
In a significant development for competitive gaming, Riot Games has announced a comprehensive partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation. The collaboration will bring Riot’s major esports titles – Valorant, League of Legends, and Teamfight Tactics – to the prestigious summer tournament in 2025.
This partnership builds upon the success of the inaugural Esports World Cup, which debuted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2024. The first event featured an impressive $60 million prize pool distributed across multiple gaming competitions through its Club Support program.
The new agreement extends beyond tournament participation. Establishing a global commercial partnership between the Foundation and Riot’s major competitive circuits: LoL Esports, the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT), and the TFT 2025 competitive series. Beginning with VCT Masters Bangkok in February 2025, fans will see Esports World Cup branding and activations integrated into broadcasts. Across all three games’ major LAN events.
The timing
Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer at the Esports World Cup Foundation, emphasized Riot’s influential role in gaming culture. “Riot Games has transformed esports into a global entertainment phenomenon. Their achievements – from League of Legends’ groundbreaking World Championship to Valorant’s cultural impact and TFT’s community focus – have created an ecosystem that transcends traditional competition.”
The timing of these tournaments presents an interesting schedule for competitive players and fans. The Esports World Cup will precede two major Riot events: Valorant Champions (September 12-October 5, 2025) and the League of Legends World Championship, scheduled for October-November 2025 in China. While specific dates for the Esports World Cup have not yet been announced, this partnership marks a significant expansion of Riot’s international competitive calendar.
This collaboration aims to further elevate esports as a form of global entertainment, promising to create deeper connections between gaming, music, and digital culture communities. The inclusion of Riot’s titles in the Esports World Cup represents a major step forward in unifying the competitive gaming landscape.