Historic Esports Event Named New Host of the World’s Most Prestigious Night in the Esports Calendar.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — June 7, 2024 — The Esports Awards and the Esports World Cup Foundation (“EWCF”) have announced a three-year partnership that brings the world’s most prestigious esports awards ceremony and platform to the Esports World Cup, the world’s largest gaming festival set to take place this summer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The 2024 Esports Awards will be held on August 24 in Riyadh as a dynamic gala that honors the best in esports from every corner of the globe, celebrating clubs, athletes, content creators, games and more. The partnership ensures that the Esports Awards will deliver on a grander scale than ever before, with elevated experiences at the Lifetime Achievement mixer, Red Carpet Event, Esports Village and the awards ceremony itself. Fans can vote on awards finalists when they are revealed on June 27.
Since its inception in 2015, the Esports Awards has earned a reputation for recognizing excellence in esports globally and supporting initiatives to grow the industry. Over the past decade, it has evolved from a London dinner event into the premier global awarding body and de-facto platform for esports recognition.
The global red carpet event has hosted unforgettable events in London, Dallas, and Las Vegas and now comes to Saudi Arabia for the first time. Last year’s star studded ceremony attracted over 22 million viewers and saw some of the biggest brands, athletes and publishers take home thirty awards across Entertainment, Industry, Creative, Pro, On-Air Talent and Collegiate categories. The event also secured a Guinness World Record for largest digital video game display when WWE superstars and gaming legends alike played Pac-Man on a 100,000 square foot screen.
As the industry advances, acknowledging the events shaping competitive gaming’s future is crucial. By hosting its annual event in a significant and growing esports hub like Saudi Arabia, the Esports Awards can further its mission alongside the Esports World Cup, one of the most exciting esports events of the year.
“Partnering with the Esports World Cup enables us to offer an even more exceptional experience to our nominees, guests and viewers,” said Michael Ashford, CEO, Esports Awards. “The Esports Awards have always been dedicated to celebrating incredible achievements in esports, so we naturally saw the opportunity to join forces with EWC in Riyadh as an excellent fit. The Middle East is home to one of the fastest growing and most passionate esports communities in the world and I’m delighted to be bringing the awards to the region for the first time. I cannot wait for this year’s ceremony, which I expect will be the most impressive and memorable one yet.”
“Hosting the Esports Awards in Riyadh enriches the Esports World Cup, bringing the entire world together to commemorate esports excellence,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO Esports World Cup Foundation. “Here, we can support the Esports Awards as a valuable bridge between Eastern and Western audiences. The Esports Awards is a fantastic gala that celebrates stakeholders from across the global esports ecosystem, recognizing not only competitive greatness but also greatness in production, broadcasting, leadership, creative design and more. I’m excited to attend the Esports Awards this year in Riyadh and honor the best in esports.”
Beginning July 3, the Esports World Cup will transform Riyadh into the epicenter of esports fandom and gaming culture. Located in Boulevard City, fans can watch their favorite athletes and clubs compete across 20 game championships for a share of more than $60 million in life-changing prize money — the largest prize pool in esports history. Across eight weeks, the Esports World Cup will also feature festival activities that include numerous gaming activations, community tournaments, pop culture celebrations, international experiences, and more.
For more information on the Esports World Cup, visit www.esportsworldcup.com, and follow upcoming game announcements on X (formerly Twitter).
About Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup is a global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. The competition features a unique cross-game structure that will pit the world’s top esports teams and athletes against one another for the largest-ever prize pool. Debuting in the summer 2024, gamers, publishers, and fans from around the globe will come together in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to crown the world’s first Esports World Cup Club Champion.
https://esportsworldcup.com/en
About The Esports Awards
Founded in 2015, the Esports Awards is the most prestigious night in the esports calendar and the only global award show that aims to recognise esports excellence.
The Esports Awards is dedicated to showcasing world-class performance and innovation from every corner of the industry throughout the year and reaches its pinnacle at its end-of-year ceremony considered the Oscars of esports. The ceremony celebrates everyone from the players, teams, media, hardware providers, games, events, and personalities that shape the esports industry.
2023 was a record-breaking year for the Esports Awards with 22 million viewers across the campaign and 12 million votes counted. Minutes after the last winner was announced on stage at Resorts World Las Vegas, the Esports Awards and Xfinity also broke the Guinness World Record title for largest digital videogame display, with WWE superstars Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair, pro Fortnite player Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf, and esports personality Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez.
