The Esports World Cup 2024 is currently taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This first edition of the Esports World Cup will conclude on August 24 and features Mkers, the only Italian team in Riyadh, founded by Daniele De Rossi and Alessandro Florenzi.
Managed by the Esports World Cup Foundation, a non-profit organization, and funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Esports World Cup has already set its first record with a total prize pool of $60 million, the highest ever for a tournament of this kind.
Not only does it have a massive prize pool, but also an extensive list of brands and companies from various categories sponsoring the event.Among the biggest brand sponsors are Pepsi, Heinz, Mastercard, Mentos, Sony, Amazon, and Adidas as the official merchandising partner of the event. The list of 28 sponsors continues with other big names like DAZN, TikTok, KitKat, Warner Bros. Discovery, Logitech, Clear Men, and AXE, brands of the Unilever group. DAZN has partnered with the Esports World Cup Foundation to broadcast the first Esports World Cup globally, even for free.
The Esports World Cup introduces a revolutionary format in the competitive landscape: the Club Championship. This innovative cross-game system challenges clubs to excel in multiple disciplines, offering a total prize pool of $20 million to the top 16 finishers. The competition will culminate with the crowning of the club with the best performance, becoming the first world champion of the Esports World Cup. The world cup features the best international teams from each circuit, with 21 esports titles, including Apex Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, EA Sports FC 24, Fortnite, League of Legends, and Rocket League.
Mkers is the only Italian team in Riyadh, competing in two game titles with international teams. The Overwatch 2 competition starts today, July 24, while the Apex Legends team will compete on the Esports World Cup stage starting July 31.
The event can be watched live, and the Mkers team can be followed on DAZN, even in freemium mode. In Riyadh, Mkers will have the opportunity to challenge some of the best international teams such as Fnatic, Team Falcons, DarkZero Esports, and TSM.
Thomas De Gasperi, president of Mkers spa, comments:"Our participation in the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, as the only Italian team, testifies to our strategy of international expansion. We hope that Italy recognizes the relevance of this competition. Riyadh is the epicenter of the sector, and we are happy to witness this event that is making history in the sector."
