Esports World Cup Foundation Announces Partnership with Riot Games as VALORANT Joins League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics at EWC 2025

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (February 10, 2025) The Esports World Cup Foundation (“EWCF”) and Riot Games today announced a three-year partnership that will see VALORANT, the award-winning 5v5 tactical shooter and one of the world’s most popular esports, make its highly anticipated debut at the Esports World Cup 2025, alongside the return of League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics (TFT).

As the leading titles in their respective genres, all three games will showcase the best clubs, players and talent the esports world has to offer when they come on stage in Riyadh this summer. League of Legends fans can look forward to an international event featuring the best teams battling it out for prestige on a global stage and a life-changing prize pool; VALORANT will bring together some of its most compelling players for the largest major tournament outside the VCT structure; and TFT will provide opportunities for top, international talent to compete in an exciting team format.

The collaboration strengthens the EWC’s position as a global platform for the industry’s most influential games, uniting top esports titles under one competitive banner to expand their reach, engage new audiences, and shape the future of esports as mainstream entertainment. The addition of VALORANT further solidifies this mission, bringing one of the most impactful games to the esports ecosystem in recent years to the event. To date, 23 tournaments in 22 games —including first-person shooters, MOBAs, battle royales, real-time strategy and fighting games—have been announced for 2025, with more to come.

In addition, the agreement includes a global commercial partnership between EWCF and LOL Esports, the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), and the TFT 2025 competitive circuit. Kicking off at VCT Masters Bangkok on February 20, 2025, the collaboration will feature EWC in-broadcast activations at LoL Esports, VCT, and TFT global LAN events.

“Riot Games has shaped the cultural impact of competitive gaming, transforming esports into a global entertainment force,” said Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer, Esports World Cup Foundation. “With League of Legends’ iconic World Championship—which continues to set new standards for immersive experiences, VALORANT’s cultural collaborations, and Teamfight Tactics’ community-driven events, Riot has pioneered an ecosystem far beyond competition. By bringing these titles to the Esports World Cup, we are not just celebrating elite gameplay—we are, together, expanding esports as a global entertainment movement, creating deeper connections with fans across gaming, music, and digital culture.”

League of Legends, one of the world’s most popular games with 100 million active monthly players, delivered a standout moment at the EWC 2024 Grand Final as esports legend Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok led T1 to victory in front of 12.5 million viewers online and thousands of fans in Riyadh. Meanwhile, in the Teamfight Tactics Grand Finals, T1 fell just short, as Wolves Esports, representing English Premier League club Wolves, claimed the title with a 3-1 win, led by MVP Li “LiShao” Chengyu.

Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. The tournament’s unique cross-game format will reward clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool across a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together esports’ best teams, players and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports.

To learn more about EWC, visit esportsworldcup.com. For more information on Riot Games, League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and VALORANT check out riotgames.com and follow EWCF and Riot Games on LinkedIn and X.

About Esports World Cup

The Esports World Cup (EWC) is a premier annual sporting event and global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. The competition features a unique cross-game format that pits the world's top esports clubs against one another for the largest prize pool in esports history. The inaugural EWC in 2024 featured 1,500 elite athletes and 200 clubs from 100 countries. They competed in 22 tournaments across 21 games for a $60 million prize pool. The eight-week competition and festival drew 500 million viewers online and saw 2.6 million people attend. Returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the summer of 2025, the EWC will bring gaming and esports communities together again to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion. esportsworldcup.com

About Riot Games

Riot Games was founded in 2006 to develop, publish, and support the most player-focused games in the world. In 2009, Riot released its debut title, League of Legends, which has gone on to be one of the most-played PC games in the world. In the years that followed, Riot released VALORANT, Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, and League of Legends: Wild Rift. Riot’s titles have led to the creation of some of the most-watched and widely recognized esports in the world, culminating in events like the League of Legends World Championship and VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), which are watched by millions of fans each year. Riot has also expanded its IP through multimedia projects across music, comic books, board games, and Arcane, its Emmy-winning animated series.