Was the Esports World Cup 2025 a viewership success?

Going down all through July and August, the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) featured tournaments throughout 21 esports titles, with a whole lot of gamers and several other esports organisations from around the globe participating. 

Since its inaugural occasion in 2024, discussions concerning the Esports World Cup’s viewership have remained a scorching subject amongst followers and trade stakeholders. Like final yr, the event was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which continues to attract criticism as a result of Kingdom’s human rights report. Now that each one of its tournaments have concluded, the query is what number of viewers tuned in to the competitors, the place $70m (~£52.2m) was up for grabs?

Esports Insider takes a better have a look at the stats for every title individually to see how the occasion compares with final yr and its opponents.

Following Riot Video games’ partnership with the Esports World Cup Basis (EWCF) in February, VALORANT made its debut at this yr’s Esports World Cup. The event peaked at 451,943 viewers in the course of the Grand Remaining between Fnatic and Staff Heretics. 

In comparison with VCT Masters Toronto, nonetheless, the height viewing determine for the EWC was considerably decrease.

The previous reached a peak of 1.1m viewers, greater than double the quantity acquired by the Saudi Arabian occasion. This can be as a consequence of followers deciding to boycott the occasion over Saudi Arabia’s human rights report. 

Whereas the Esports World Cup failed to succeed in the heights of VCT occasions, it nonetheless managed to draw strong viewing figures in comparison with different first-person shooter titles on the event.

League of Legends on the 2025 Esports World Cup was one in all a number of tournaments to happen in the course of the opening month. 

The event’s peak viewership did truthful higher, rising from 1.12m to 1.2m in 2025. This determine was bolstered largely as a result of 2025 Esports World Cup’s in depth co-streamer line-up, which included one in all League of Legends’ hottest creators Marc ‘Caedrel’ Lamont. In line with Esports Charts, the streamer reached a peak viewership of 152,000 in the course of the competitors.

General, the League of Legends Esports World Cup 2025 occasion has turn out to be the third most-popular League of Legends competitors of the yr to this point, rating behind the LCK Street to MSI with 1.9m and MSI with 3.4m.

Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) was one of many final tournaments to conclude at this yr’s Esports World Cup, with the eye of attendees targeted on the hometown facet of Staff Falcons seeking to win on residence turf.

Counter-Strike 2 fell in need of its 756,000 peak viewership on the 2024 Esports World Cup, with this yr’s event peaking at 739,992 viewers.

Early eliminations of Staff Spirit, FaZe Clan and defending champions NAVI seemingly led to decrease numbers from Russia and Western Europe. Regardless of this, the event acquired sturdy curiosity from Mongolia and Turkey, seemingly as a consequence of the truth that native organisations, The MongolZ and Aurora Gaming, reached the Grand Remaining.

The ALGS Midseason Playoffs marked the midway level of the 2025/26 Apex Legends esports season, with EA becoming a member of forces with the Esports World Cup to host a sanctioned event as a part of the occasion.

In comparison with final yr’s occasion, the ALGS Midseason Playoffs did report a better peak viewership (219,800) and common viewership (98,000). Nevertheless, you will need to observe that its 2024 Esports World Cup occasion wasn’t part of Apex Legends’ official esports circuit and was a third-party occasion.

The one Apex Legends event this yr to report a better peak viewership than the ALGS Midseason Playoffs was the 12 months 4 ALGS Championship (540,364), which happened in January 2025.

Rainbow Six Siege X‘s Esports World Cup competitors was one of many title’s greatest occasions regardless of not being a part of its official esports circuit.

Maybe one of many occasion’s greatest promoting factors was that it was the primary main occasion to happen following the launch of Rainbow Six Siege X in June 2025. This isn’t the primary time that followers of the esport had seen groups compete within the revamped sport, with RE:L0:AD 2025 utilizing Siege X for its Could occasion. That occasion recorded a peak viewership of 216,300.

Cellular Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) hosted two tournaments as a part of the 2025 Esports World Cup. The cell MOBA title stays one of the crucial well-liked on the planet and drew vital consideration with the Mid-Season Cup (MSC) and Ladies’s Invitational happening.

The MLBB Ladies’s Invitational 2025 was one of many first tournaments to conclude, reaching a peak of 496,954 viewers throughout its 34-hour airtime. This yr’s event has seen a big viewership improve in comparison with 2024, which peaked at 265,117.

The Ladies’s Invitational was a viewership success, recording larger figures than Apex Legends, Dota 2, and VALORANT, making it one of many most-watched feminine esports occasions of all time.

Elsewhere, MSC started with excessive viewing figures from the outset. The group stage of the competitors peaked at 1.2m viewers, whereas the playoffs hit a peak of simply over 3m viewers.

In comparison with the 2024 occasion, the MSC’s peak viewing figures rose considerably from 2.35m, demonstrating the spectacular development of Cellular Legends: Bang Bang’s esports scene. 

PUBG Cellular has been a staple of esports in Asia for a number of years, and its second look on the Esports World Cup appeared to construct on the 566,118 peak viewership achieved in 2024. 

2025’s PUBG Cellular World Cup peaked at 1.3m viewers, a 145% improve from the earlier yr. Along with the numerous uptick within the peak viewing determine, common viewing figures additionally doubled from 206,000 to over 450,000.

Alongside PUBG Cellular, PUBG’s PC model additionally hosted a event however carried out worse than its cell counterpart.

In comparison with 2024, hwowever, the height greater than doubled, making it the sixteenth most-watched PUBG occasion of all time. Essentially the most-watched occasion of the yr is presently the PUBG Nations Cup, which peaked at 818,020 viewers.

Rocket League stays one of the crucial well-liked sports activities simulation titles on the planet and continues to construct on the success of the Rocket League Championship Collection (RLCS). 

This yr’s look on the Esports World Cup attracted a peak of 230,209 viewers, eclipsing final yr’s peak, which didn’t break 100,000. It’s price noting that each of those occasions function as separate third-party occasions to the RLCS ecosystem.

The RLCS Birmingham Main holds the title of the most-watched Rocket League occasion of the yr to this point, with a peak of 290,867.

2025’s Esports World Cup noticed CrossFire make its debut, attracting a number of Asian organisations seeking to compete in one of many title’s greatest occasions of the yr.

The long-standing first-person shooter title has continued time and time once more to reveal its longevity. Nevertheless, the true influence of this occasion can’t be totally analysed, given it’s largely a title that’s well-liked in China.

The pioneering real-time technique title has been a continuing characteristic within the esports ecosystem, and its recognition at this yr’s EWC reveals there may be nonetheless hope for the title.

It attracted peak viewing figures of 79,984, a 31% improve on its 60,884 quantity finally yr’s occasion. This places the event because the most-watched StarCraft II occasion of the yr to this point, which is a promising signal following the closure of the ESL Professional Tour in April.

Honor of Kings stays one in all Asia’s hottest cell esports titles and continues to draw a wealth of consideration when its tournaments happen.

Making its debut at an esports occasion, Chess featured a few of the world’s greatest gamers competing for a share of its $1.5m (~£1.1m) prize pool. Gained by Staff Liquid’s Magnus Carlsen, the event peaked at 259,427 viewers, turning into the sport’s most-watched occasion of the yr to this point. 

Chess could not have been a online game, nevertheless it success on the EWC has laid the foundations for a robust finish to the yr as consideration begins to show in the direction of the World Championship.

Following the conclusion of the Name of Obligation League (CDL) season, 11 of the 12 franchises headed to Riyadh together with 5 Challengers sides for the ultimate event of the Name of Obligation: Black Ops 6 season.

The occasion, gained by OpTic Gaming, peaked at 268,927 viewers and recorded 4.1m hours watched throughout its 35-hour airtime. In comparison with 2024, this yr’s occasion was a viewership success, due to a peak improve of over 120,000. 

Black Ops 6’s look on the EWC makes it the title’s second-most-viewed occasion. Essentially the most-watched title stays the CDL Championship 2025, which peaked at over 350,000 viewers in June.

Regardless of the unsure way forward for Name of Obligation: Warzone’s esports scene following the World Collection of Warzone’s determination to carry its closing with out spectators, the Esports World Cup demonstrated that the battle royale title nonetheless has loads of potential as an esport.

This yr’s occasion peaked at 312,793 viewers, a 131% improve from final yr’s event, which peaked at 135,281 viewers. It grew to become the most-watched Warzone esports occasion of the yr, with Twisted Minds taking the title.

The Esports World Cup hosted the season-ending FC Professional 25 World Championship, the biggest EA Sports activities FC 25 event of the yr.

Regardless of the marginal rise, the occasion remains to be 2025’s most-watched EA Sports activities FC event of the yr, narrowly beating the 109,028 peak reached on the eChampions League.

Regardless of the auto-battler style seeing a drop in recognition in recent times, Teamfight Ways (TFT) stays a preferred esports title for viewers and gamers alike. 

Though viewership has elevated in comparison with final yr, the Esports World Cup is considerably behind 2025’s most-watched TFT occasion to this point. April’s Into the Arcane Tactician’s Crown peaked at 227,035 and stays the most well-liked TFT occasion.

Just like Apex Legends, Blizzard determined to host an offical occasion as a part of this yr’s Esports World Cup.

The Overwatch Champions Collection (OWCS) Midseason event peaked at 177,094 viewers, making it the most-watched Overwatch event of the yr to this point. 

In comparison with final yr’s occasion, which peaked at 100,188 viewers, Overwatch has seen a 76% improve, persevering with to construct on the title’s esports efforts following the demise of the Overwatch League in 2024.

2025 marks the primary time Dota 2’s presence on the Esports World Cup hasn’t used the Riyadh Masters identify, marking a brand new chapter for Valve’s MOBA title on the occasion.

The sturdy viewing figures have positioned the occasion because the most-watched Dota 2 occasion of 2025 to this point, laying the foundations for Valve’s MOBA title to finish its esports season on the entrance foot at The Worldwide 2025.

Free Hearth has but to make a big influence within the Western esports market, however the shooter title continues to show well-liked inside Asia.

This yr’s look on the Esports World Cup garnered peak viewing figures of 555,966, a rise of roughly 80,000 from final yr’s occasion. 

Common viewership additionally noticed a big improve, with 292,019 tuning in throughout the occasion’s 20-hour airtime. On the conclusion of the occasion, Free Hearth’s Esports World Cup occasion is the most-watched Free Hearth occasion of the yr to this point.

Tekken 8 was one in all a number of preventing video games internet hosting tournaments at this yr’s Esports World Cup, and showcased a pattern of FGC titles recording viewership will increase on the occasion in Saudi Arabia.

This yr’s Esports World Cup noticed the debut of Deadly Fury: Metropolis of the Wolves, increasing the occasion’s vary of preventing sport tournaments. Launched on the finish of April, solely a handful of tournaments that includes the title have taken place.

The Grand Remaining between GO1 and Xiaohai peaked at 60,529 viewers, making it the most-watched Deadly Fury occasion of the yr to this point. A strong begin from the most recent addition to the FGC, which continues to be dominated by the likes of Road Fighter and Tekken.

Road Fighter rounded off the Esports World Cup’s in depth slate of preventing sport occasions.

Zeng ‘Xiao Hai’ Zhuojun’s match towards Torimeshi in the course of the Third Part of the competitors hit a peak of 261,074 viewers, ensuing within the EWC turning into the fourth most-watched occasion of the yr for Capcom’s well-liked preventing sport. 

Regardless of not being the most well-liked Road Fighter occasion in 2025, in comparison with 2024, this yr’s Road Fighter occasion noticed a 67% improve in viewership.

Returning for its second yr, Rennsport continues to construct upon efforts to cement a spot inside sim racing. Final yr’s competitors noticed simply over 10,000 viewers tune into the Drivers and Staff championships.

With nearly all of titles at this yr’s Esports World Cup recording a rise in viewership from 2024, the occasion could be thought of a hit because it continues to ascertain itself as the biggest multi-title esports competitors on the planet.

Nevertheless, whereas viewing figures proceed to rise, controversy surrounding the Saudi Arabian occasion stays.

An Esports Information UK report revealed that Superfans who attended the Counter-Strike and Apex Legends occasions have been topic to censorship and unequal therapy, casting a adverse mild on Saudi Arabia’s try and develop its presence inside the gaming and esports industries.