Sony Group Named Founding Partner of Esports World Cup

Pictured: HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Chairman of Saudi Esports Federation (Middle) with Toshimoto Mitomo, Chief Strategy Officer, Sony Group Corporation (Right), and Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esports World Cup Foundation (Left) at the signing ceremony of the partnership between Sony and the Esports World Cup Foundation.

Financial terms of this deal were not disclosed.

According to a release, the collaboration leverages Sony’s “gaming products and entertainment expertise” alongside the “EWC’s vision to unite the global gaming and esports communities across the most popular games, and underscores a shared ambition to broaden the appeal of gaming and esports to players and fans worldwide.” 

As part of this agreement, Sony will create a behind-the-scenes documentary series that focuses on the players, games, and fans attending the inaugural Esports World Cup 2024 taking place this summer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Sony divisions Sony Interactive Entertainment will explore “additional opportunities to support promising creators and talent in the region,” while Sony Music Entertainment will produce the anthem of the Esports World Cup 2024.

Ten titles will be played at the Esports World Cup this year including Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Honor of Kings, PUBG, PUBG Mobile, Overwatch, Free Fire, Fortnite, and Rainbow Six Siege—with more games to be announced soon. 

The news that Sony will be collaborating closely with the Esports World Cup Foundation isn’t particularly shocking, as executives from the company attended the New Global Sport Conference in October, where the Esports World Cup was officially announced. Most companies that had executives in attendance were there for a reason: to secure partnerships.

The Esports World Cup Foundation was created by the Saudi Esports Federation creator Saudi Prince Faisal bin Bandar (HRH Prince Faisal) – who serves as its president, as well as president of the International Esports Federation and VP of the Global Esports Federation.

The Esports World Cup—formerly Games8—is being operated by the Esports World Cup Foundation, which is being overseen by its new CEO Ralf Reichert, who left his role as Chairman of ESL FACEIT Group to take on the new leadership role.

The esports component of the Esports World Cup is being facilitated by ESL FACEIT Group, which is owned by Savvy Games Group. Savvy is owned by the Saudi Arabian government’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund. ESL FACEIT Group is composed of ESL, FACEIT, and DreamHack. Vindex was recently shut down, while its subsidiary Esports Engine was fully integrated into the company.