The Esports World Foundation announced via social media Thursday that it has partnered with another Saudi Arabian government-funded project, Qiddiya City. The city-based project located near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will serve as the presenting and nexus partner under a new three-year deal.
As the Saudi government funds both projects through its sovereign wealth fund—the Public Investment Fund, or PIF—it is difficult to navigate if any money will actually change hands under this new deal.
Under the terms of this partnership, Qiddiya City’s Elite Player Lounge and the Qiddiya Esports Arena serve as the official home of the Esports World Cup, which is set to take place in July.
According to the announcement, the Qiddiya City Gaming and Esports District will serve as a mixed use space offering multiple esports venues (with one being described as the “top three largest in the world”), facilities capable of hosting “20 top-tier esports teams simultaneously” and offering “scrim rooms and a strategy theater,” more than 500,000 square meters of gaming space, and 100,000 square meters dedicated to retail, dining and entertainment venues.
The Esports World Cup will host multiple major esports competitions for a number titles with multi-million-dollar prize pools including PUBG Mobile, Rainbow Six Siege, Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Honor of Kings, StarCraft II, Free Fire, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, among others.
The Esports World Cup is the official rebranding of Gamers8 and is being facilitated through several government-owned entities and companies including the Saudi Esports Federation and companies within the Savvy Games Group ecosystem such as ESL FACEIT Group (which is home to ESL, DreamHack, and FACEIT).