politics
Saudi Esports Tournament Opens in Paris for Seven Weeks
The Esports World Cup began in Paris on July 8 with an opening ceremony at La Seine Musicale. The event runs through August 23 and features nearly $75 million in prize money across 24 games.
Jul 8, 7:54 PM·1m read1 source
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The Esports World Cup opened in Paris on July 8 with a ceremony at La Seine Musicale that included performances by Aya Nakamura, Theodora, and DJ Snake. The tournament, created in Riyadh in 2024, moved to the French capital for seven weeks because of regional conflict.
Nearly 2,000 professional players from 84 countries are competing through August 23 for almost $75 million across 24 titles including League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and EA Sports FC.
Arabia's sovereign wealth fund and companies have acquired European firms ESL and Faceit, American companies Electronic Arts and Scopely, and Asian firm Moonton. The kingdom has also made investments in Nintendo, Capcom, and VSPO.
French esports groups are cooperating with the event.
Le Monde reported that earlier concerns about the kingdom's involvement have diminished within the competitive gaming community.
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