Esports World Cup leaders vow better Asian team representation next year as it eyes next iteration

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Jul 12, 2024, 10:41 ET

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Faisal Bin Homran, the Chief Product Officer at the Esports World Cup Foundation, and Dino Ying, chairman of Asia's biggest esports operator VSPO, said this week that it is looking to have more Asian esports clubs joining the event next year as Asia represents a key area of growth for the world's largest gaming festival.

VSPO's leadership met with Esports World Cup Foundation in Riyadh during the second week of EWC.

The showdown between T1 and Top Esports, which come from South Korea and China respectively, at the League of Legends Grand Final last weekend has racked up hundreds of millions of views in Asia alone, making it the most watched matchup at the Esports World Cup (EWC) so far.

While the event still has seven weeks left to go, VSPO's Ying said on X on Wednesday that he and Faisal Bin Homran have agreed that a key goal for next year's EWC will be to have more Asian teams joining the event which has the world's largest prize pool at $60 million.

"Had a great chat with Mr Faisal Bin Homran, Esports World Cup Foundation Officer, today in Riyadh. And we promise to have more Asian esports clubs joining the event next year as it represents a key area of growth," Ying said in a post on X.

VSPO is the co-organizer of the EWC. In 2023, Savvy, wholly owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, invested $265 million into VSPO, becoming the largest international investor. Savvy's long-term investment is helping VSPO to continue to deliver on its global strategy and accelerate the growth of mobile esports.

About Esports World Cup

The EWC stands as a worldwide celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. It offers an unprecedented prize pool of over $60 million, the largest in esports history. Within this amount, $20 million is specifically designated for the Club Championship, a unique cross-game competitive format which rewards the top 16 clubs based on their overall performance.

About VSPO

Founded in 2016, VSPO, which stands for VersusPlayerOne, is the largest esports operator in Asia, producing more than 4,000 matches every year that captivate an online fan base of over 800 million. With a global presence encompassing 14 office locations and 8 top-tier esports arenas, VSPO offers a comprehensive suite of esports services, including tournament organization, marketing solutions, community development, and more. Through its multi-channel network business, VSPO also collaborates with over 20,000 online influencers and esports broadcasters worldwide.

SOURCE VSPO