France will host the Esports World Cup this summer in Paris, switching from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after the wider region has been disrupted by the war with Iran.
The move follows an evaluation by the event’s organiser, the Esports Foundation, and was made "in light of the current regional situation.” The decision offers "clarity and stability for players, clubs, publishers, partners, and fans worldwide, while preserving the tournament’s scale, structure and competitive integrity,” the foundation said in a statement Wednesday.
The world’s largest esports and gaming event will take place July 6 to August 23, and bring together more than 2,000 players from over 100 countries, as they compete for a record-breaking prize pool of more than US$75mil (RM297.2mil), according to the foundation.
The Esports World Cup was created by the Saudi government in 2023 as a way to promote the region as a destination for gamers. The Saudi Public Investment Fund has committed US$38bil (RM150.6bil) toward the goal. The World Cup’s move to Paris calls the government’s strategy into question. In March, Brian Ward, the chief executive officer of PIF subsidiary Savvy Games Group, said the war could impact Riyadh’s plans to develop video-game infrastructure in the region, at least in the short run.
"It’s obviously not helpful for the region to have this escalation and it will change probably or cool the perception of it as being a stable and quiet place where people want to go,” Ward said in an interview with Bloomberg at the Game Developers Conference. He added that, in the future, he believes the region will still grow to be a video-game hub.
The selection of Paris underscores France’s continued appeal as a host for major global competitions and reflects the deepening ties between Saudi Arabia and France, the French government said in a statement. Paris was also host to the 2024 Olympic Games and the 2023 Rugby World Cup. – Bloomberg
