Even as StarCraft II is announced as returning title to the Esports World Cup this summer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ESL FACEIT Group announced separately that ESL Pro Tour for StarCraft II will be shut down.
First, the Esports World Cup Foundation recently announced that StarCraft II will be making a return to its multi-title esports competition. Details on when this competition will take and what the total prize pool will be for it will be revealed at a later date.
StarCraft II will be part of the Esports World Cup Club competition, which provides additional financial rewards for teams willing to field rosters in multiple titles to earn points and—by the end of the event in August—reward the team with the most accrued points with the Club Championship. Last year, Team Falcons took home the honor.
During the 2024 StarCraft II competition, Team Liquid’s Clément “Clem” Desplanches took home the top spot and $400,000 USD of the $1M total prize pool.
StarCraft joins other Esports World Cup titles including CrossFire, TEKKEN 8, Teamfight Tactics, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Rennsport, Chess, PUBG Battlegrounds, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, PUBG Mobile, Rainbow Six Siege X, Dota 2, Street Fighter 6, Call of Duty Warzone, FreeFire, Honor of Kings, Valorant, Rocket League, Fortnite, Counter-Strike 2, Call of Duty Black Ops 6, and Overwatch 2.
Separately, ESL FACEIT Group announced that it was ending the ESL Pro Tour for StarCraft II this year. The EPT circuit dedicated to StarCraft II was officially launched in 2020. The company said in a social media post:
“Today, we’re writing to share an important update regarding the future of the ESL Pro Tour (EPT). After an incredible journey since its inception in 2020, the ESL Pro Tour for StarCraft II will not continue in 2025 and beyond.
“Reaching this decision has been exceptionally difficult for us. Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of hosting iconic events like the IEM Katowice World Championships, DreamHack Masters, ESL Masters, and ESL Opens, collaborating closely with players, fans, and community members to celebrate this iconic game. However, as the industry evolves, maintaining the full-scale circuit envisioned for the EPT has become increasingly challenging.
“Nevertheless, there are still great StarCraft II esports moments to look forward to in 2025. As you might have already seen, StarCraft II is making its return to the Esports World Cup 2025, where a new World Champion will be crowned this summer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Find out more on the official social media channels of the Esports World Cup.”
ESL said in its announcement that it is ending the StarCraft II circuit because “securing long-term commitments to fund multiple events across the year became more challenging with time,” and pointed fans towards the StarCraft II competition at the Esports World Cup this summer.
Both the Esports World Cup Foundation and ESL FACEIT Group are funded directly by the Saudi Arabian government: ESL FACEIT Group is owned by Savvy Games Group, which is in turn controlled directly by the Saudi government; while the Esports World Cup Foundation claims that it is a non-profit funded by a “grant” from the Sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund.
In case you are not familiar with it, the Esports World Cup is a multi-title, eight-week competition held on an annual basis during the summer (July to August), managed by the Esports World Cup Foundation and operated by ESL FACEIT Group.
Sports and esports projects backed or owned by the Saudi Arabian government are often criticized for helping the government engage in “sports washing,” or using various forms of sport and entertainment to cover up its record on human rights, women’s rights, LGTBQ+ rights, military actions in Yemen, and more. These and other criticisms have been highlighted by international watchdog groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.