In a recent meeting, Saudi Arabia decided to change the name of the Esports World Cup Foundation to Esports Foundation. Although not confirmed, this step has mostly been taken with a view to broadening the Esports vision.
At the time of writing, it is estimated that Esports is standing at around US $2.4–3 billion in 2025, and it is expected to grow even more on a year-by-year basis. This is further backed by viewing the number of 640 million people worldwide who watch Esports. Given all those staggering numbers, it is natural that KSA wants to capitalize on the already proliferating industry.
Why Did Saudi Arabia Change the Esports World Cup Foundation Name?
This was previously operated under a title closely tied to a single flagship tournament; the foundation now oversees multiple major events, including the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup, which is scheduled to take place in November this year. By simplifying its name to “Esports Foundation,” the organization positions itself as a long-term governing and investment body, and not just an event organizer.
As of now, the foundation receives funding from a sports grant that is supported by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The Public Investment Fund has been at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify its economy away from oil. That is why the Kingdom has invested heavily in gaming, sports, and entertainment initiatives as part of the Vision 2030 initiative. For example, signing big Europian Football Stars are part of this program, and Gaming seems to be going in that direction too.
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The Esports World Cup, or EWC in short, is already showing a strong foundation in the making, which is helping Saudi Arabia to establish itself as Esports hub. For your reference, the inaugural Esports World Cup was held in 2024 and recorded around 500+ million views.
As we can see, esports continues to grow worldwide; the newly named Esports Foundation is expected to play an increasingly influential role in shaping the competitive gaming landscape.
For more regular news and updates on the Esports World Cup 2026, keep an eye on Insidesport.
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