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In October 2023, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the launch of the Esports World Cup. This grandiose event is to be held annually in Riyadh starting with the summer of 2024. The annual Gamers8 event will turn into the Esports World Cup starting this year.
While it was expected to become one of the biggest esports events on the calendar, the latest development around Riot Games and its flagship title League of Legends reportedly joining the event made all eyes in the industry turn.
According to a report by journalist Jacob Wolf, Riot Games is currently working through the details of the participation of League of Legends in the Esports World Cup 2024 event. This development was reportedly was in an internal email sent by Riot Games during the holiday break, which was then sourced by The Jacob Wolf Report.
The report also noted that Riot Games would be allowing two teams each from the League Championship Series (LCS), League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), the League of Legends Pro League (LPL), and the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) to participate.
Riot Games To Participate in Saudi-backed Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup is expected to be the largest global esports event of its kind and will serve as a platform to support the gaming and esports sector and consolidate Saudi Arabia's position as a hub for international esports. It will feature several popular games across various genres and will boast the largest prize pools for winners ever offered in esports history.
However, the specifics of the format of the event have not yet been disclosed and all we know is that organizations will field different esports teams in different tournaments to have a shot at being crowned the winner of the inaugural Esports World Cup.
While Riot Games' email reportedly stated that two teams each from LCS, LEC, LPL, and LCK would participate in the event, it added that Riot would not be picking those teams itself.
According to The Jacob Wolf Report, "League of Legends esports global head of strategy Chris Greeley asked each league to hold all activity during the first week of July to make way for the Esports World Cup. That week is also Riot’s annual employee summer break, coinciding with the July 4 holiday."
Additionally, the email mentioned the dates for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2024 which is reportedly set to happen in May.
Riot Games is also reportedly looking to partner up with third-party organizers regarding licensing. As a result, the publisher is in conversation with various tournament organizers, including the Esports World Cup, to expand its League of Legends esports ecosystem.
It should be noted that Riot Games has not been involved with Saudi Arabia apart from the very brief LEC partnership with Saudi city Neom in 2020. It quickly revoked the partnership after several broadcast talent called out Riot Games and privately intimated they would walk out.
In a statement that announced the end of the Neom partnership, EMEA Director of Esports Alberto Guerrero said, "In an effort to expand our esports ecosystem, we moved too quickly to cement this partnership and caused rifts in the very community we seek to grow. While we missed our own expectations in this instance, we’re committed to reexamining our internal structures to ensure this doesn't happen again.”
