The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has officially announced the multi-year extension of its cornerstone partnerships with Aramco and Secretlab, as preparations accelerate for the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh. These renewed alliances are set to strengthen the tournament’s infrastructure, enhance the athlete experience, and redefine fan engagement for one of the largest esports events in the world.
Aramco Deepens Its Involvement with New Championship Format
Aramco, the Saudi energy giant, will extend its role as a premier partner of the Esports World Cup through a three-year agreement starting in 2025. Central to this partnership is the elevated presence of the Aramco SIM Arena, a hub for interactive motorsport gaming experiences. This expanded venue will serve as the epicenter for Aramco’s new initiatives, offering immersive activations and sim racing content throughout the seven-week tournament.
A highlight of the expanded partnership is the launch of the Aramco Esports Championship, a dual-season sim racing tournament featuring weekly qualifiers and culminating in an in-person finale at the SIM Arena. The championship’s top-performing players will receive a rare opportunity to participate in a professional driver development program at the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team Headquarters in Silverstone.
Adding another innovation to the mix, Aramco Power Rankings will be introduced in 2025 — offering a real-time performance metric system designed to deepen engagement by giving fans and analysts more granular insights into team and player performance across various game titles.
Secretlab Extends as Official Gaming Chair Partner
Meanwhile, Secretlab will continue its role as the official gaming chair supplier for the Esports World Cup through 2026. The ergonomic gaming brand will provide its specialized TITAN Evo – Tournament Edition 2025 chairs for main stage matches and practice zones, reinforcing a focus on player health, comfort, and high-performance needs during competition.
This ongoing collaboration underscores the importance of athlete-centered design and how equipment quality contributes to elite gameplay at the highest level of esports.
A Global Celebration of Esports in Riyadh
Returning to Riyadh from July 7 to August 24, 2025, the Esports World Cup is expected to surpass previous records in scale and scope. With 25 tournaments across 24 different game titles, the event will bring together over 2,000 professional players representing 200 clubs from more than 100 countries. The $70 million+ prize pool cements the EWC as the most lucrative tournament in esports history.
These renewed partnerships reflect EWCF’s broader mission to elevate esports into a premier global spectacle — not just for gaming enthusiasts, but for brands, broadcasters, and the wider sporting ecosystem.
Recent announcements have further highlighted the event’s growing momentum: Cristiano Ronaldo was unveiled as global ambassador, and Lenovo Legion joined as official hardware partner.
What Makes the EWC a Case Study in Commercial Sport Innovation?
At 365247 Consultancy, the Esports World Cup exemplifies a powerful shift in how traditional sponsorships are evolving:
- Cross-sector brand relevance: Automotive, tech, and performance brands like Aramco, Lenovo, and Secretlab are finding unique alignment within competitive gaming.
- Event-as-platform strategy: The EWC isn’t just a tournament — it’s a seven-week ecosystem with community engagement, training, and commercial activations.
- Hybrid value delivery: Combining online qualifiers, on-ground experiences, and global fanbases makes this model highly scalable and adaptable to regional sponsors.
For investors and rightsholders looking to tap into Gen Z and digitally native audiences, the EWC offers a forward-thinking blueprint.
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IMAGE: E-Sports World Cup
