It has been revealed that CS2 will be part of the 2025 Esports World Cup, with the CS2 competition scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from August 20-24. This event, organized in partnership with ESL, will showcase 16 teams competing for a portion of a $1,250,000 prize pool, with $500,000 allocated for the champion. This is an increase from the $1,000,000 prize pool offered in 2024.
Invitations will be determined based on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), with the top 16 teams earning invites. The initial VRS update in June 2025 will be utilized to establish the invitations.
Natus Vincere triumphed in the inaugural Esports World Cup, successfully competing against a highly competitive lineup that included eight of the top 10 teams in the HLTV world rankings, to claim the championship and a prize of $400,000. Valeriy ‘b1t’ Vakhovskiy earned his first-ever HLTV MVP award for his contributions in helping Natus Vincere achieve the victory.
The Esports World Cup is a follow-up to the festival in Saudi Arabia that was formerly called Gamers8, which hosted a Counter-Strike tournament boasting a $1 million prize pool in August 2023, clinched by Vitality.
EWC Announcement
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