The Esports Awards and the Esports World Cup Foundation (“EWCF”) announced Friday a three-year partnership that brings the annual esports awards to the Esports World Cup, set to take place this summer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The 2024 Esports Awards will be held on Aug. 24, in Riyadh as “a dynamic gala” with a Lifetime Achievement mixer, Red Carpet Event, Esports Village, and the actual awards ceremony. Fans can vote on awards finalists when they are revealed on June 27. The event and associated activities will be held in Boulevard City.
“Partnering with the Esports World Cup enables us to offer an even more exceptional experience to our nominees, guests and viewers,” said Michael Ashford, CEO of Esports Awards. “The Esports Awards have always been dedicated to celebrating incredible achievements in esports, so we naturally saw the opportunity to join forces with EWC in Riyadh as an excellent fit. The Middle East is home to one of the fastest growing and most passionate esports communities in the world and I’m delighted to be bringing the awards to the region for the first time. I cannot wait for this year’s ceremony, which I expect will be the most impressive and memorable one yet.”
The move by the Esports Awards is not surprising, as organizers worked with LIV Golf, a Saudi-owned golfing league, to promote its annual golfing tournament during last year’s event in Las Vegas.
The Esports World Cup Foundation’s program for teams and the Esports World Cup are being funded by a “grant” from the Saudi Arabian government. DreamHack and all of its events are operated by ESL FACEIT Group, which is owned by Savvy Games Group – a gaming company owned by the Saudi government-controlled sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund. Saudi Arabia’s leader, HRH Crown Prince MBS is the chairman of Savvy Games Group.