There are reports that Riot Games will be sending teams from its top four national leagues to the Saudi Arabian-backed Esports World Cup.
The Esports World Cup was announced in October 2023 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, aiming to replace the Gamers8 tournament. The latter was a large tournament comprising several esports organizations worldwide, competing across various esports categories.
The Gamers8 2023 edition encompassed games like CS:GO, Fortnite, and DOTA 2, but notably missed out Riot Games titles like Valorant or League of Legends.
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Riot has remained largely uninvolved with Saudi Arabia apart from a brief LEC partnership with NEOM in 2020, a collaboration that was promptly ended after the league’s broadcast talent voiced their disapproval publicly.
Riot reportedly eases stance on Saudi involvement with Esports World Cup
According to Jacob Wolf’s coverage, Riot Games is progressing in talks to send some League of Legends teams from different areas to the Esports World Cup.
The report suggests Riot is considering approval for two teams each from its top leagues, the LEC, LCS, LPL, and LCK to participate in the event. However, selection criteria remain undisclosed.
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Chris Greeley, Riot’s head of global strategy for League of Legends, also requested each league to halt any planned activities during the first week of July to accommodate the Esports World Cup, according to the report.
If the event goes ahead with Riot’s involvement, it will be the first developer-agnostic international tournament featuring teams from its leagues in many years.
The Gamers8 tournament of 2023 was well-recognized and praised.
The country’s Public Investment Fund getting involved in esports beyond its existing investments in professional golf and WWE has been branded as an “ambitious sportswashing strategy, growing its influence to incorporate not only traditional sports and entertainment, but also the boundless possibilities of the digital realm,” as described by The Guardian.
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In 2023, Savvy Gaming Group, the PIF’s gaming division, made acquisitions of ESL, FACEIT, and Vindex – all of which organize or broadcast esports events.
Riot Games still has to react to the report or confirm if League of Legends will be featured in the Esports World Cup.