For the first time in the Esports World Cup short history, Riot Games' FPS Valorant has been included in the competition.
While the announcement wasn't fully welcomed with open arms by the fans, there's no doubt this is an outstanding addition for brands and esport organizations willing to invest in the scene.
Played in July, shortly after the conclusion of the Valorant Masters Toronto, the Valorant Esports World Cup 2025 is one of Riyadh's main attractions.
Here's everything you need to know about it:
Dates
The Valorant Esports World Cup 2025 will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 8 to July 13, 2025.
Here's how the action will be divided across the four days of competition:
- July 8: Group Stage
- July 9: Group Stage
- July 10: Group Stage
- July 11: Quarterfinals
- July 12: Semifinals
- July 13: Grand Final
Prize Pool
The Valorant Esports World Cup 2025 will have an economical prize pool of USD$1,25M.
It's the second most important tournament of the calendar in terms of prize pool after Bangkok and Toronto, which award USD$500,000 and USD$1M, respectively, and right behind Valorant Champions 2025, which awards USD$2,25M.
Unfortunately, the prize pool distribution across the participants has yet to be revealed.
Format
The Valorant Esports World Cup 2025 will be divided into two phases: a Group Stage and a Playoff stage. Let's have a look at both:
Group Stage
First, the 16 teams in the competition will be split into four groups of four rosters each.
The format of the matches hasn't been unveiled yet, although considering the length of the competition we expect BO1 series for standard group stage clashes and BO3 series for elimination games.
The best two teams from each group will qualify for the Playoffs. The teams will be put in a single-elimination bracket. While the format of the matches hasn't been unveiled yet, we expect the quarterfinals and the semifinals to be BO3 games and the grand final to be a BO5 series.
Teams
The Valorant Esports World Cup 2025 will include 16 teams. These will come from the VCT scene, meaning no teams from outside the VCT circuit will be able to qualify for the competition.
With each region owning four spots, here's how teams will be able to qualify for the competition:
EMEA
The best two teams in the VCT 2025 EMEA League Stage 1 will automatically qualify for the Valorant Esports World Cup 2025.
The remaining two spots will be awarded to the best two teams in the Valorant Esports World Cup 2025 EMEA Qualifier.
Americas
The best two teams in the VCT 2025 Americas League Stage 1 will automatically qualify for the Valorant Esports World Cup 2025.
The remaining two spots will be awarded to the best two teams in the Valorant Esports World Cup 2025 Americas Qualifier.
China
The best two teams in the VCT 2025 China League Stage 1 will automatically qualify for the Valorant Esports World Cup 2025.
The remaining two spots will be awarded to the best two teams in the CN EVO Series Act 2.
Pacific
The best two teams in the VCT 2025 Pacific League Stage 1 will automatically qualify for the Valorant Esports World Cup 2025.
The remaining two spots will be awarded to the best two teams in the Valorant Esports World Cup 2025 Pacific Qualifier.
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