As the Esports World Cup 2025 kicked off, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, went off-script to deliver a resounding statement on what he believes to be one of the defining qualities of the Esports World Cup over the coming decades: legacy.
At the opening press conference of the 7-week long event, on Wednesday, July 9, HRH Prince Faisal spoke on the importance of long-term legacy for the EWC, circling back on the recent loss of a friend of over 30 years, with whom he commonly bonded over gaming and esports.
“I’m going to go a little off-script, if you will allow me,” he said. “Recently, I lost a friend of mine, he had been a friend of mine for 30-plus years. And I think back on our time together, gaming was a pretty large part of our time together, about our coming together as friends and our conversations, and that’s got me thinking a lot about legacy.
“I’m thankful to be a part of this team, and doing something that is bringing joy in people’s life, bringing people together. We’re going to have 2,000 athletes this year, 200 teams and 100 plus athletes. We had 2.6 million people visiting our location last year, we expect more this year.
“Again, bringing people together, bringing joy to people’s day, and doing something that will last for the next 100 years, not the next five or 10. And every day, working with this team, we get a chance to put something together that’s truly special, and bring you into our home. And part of this legacy is who we are, and who we are, are people who like to welcome, people who like to play games, people who like to have a laugh.
He finished: “It’s bigger than just the 24 games and 25 tournaments. This is bigger than 2000 athletes and 200 teams. This is a legacy that is going to last for decades.”
The event itself officially kicked off on Tuesday, July 8, with Valorant, Rennsport, and Dota 2 tournaments getting underway. Post Malone is headlining the Esports World Cup opening ceremony, which is expected to draw some major celebrities to really get the 2025 EWC started with a bang.
