The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) and Electronic Arts (EA) announced that the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) Midseason Playoffs and EA SPORTS FC 25’s FC Pro World Championship will both take place at this year’s Esports World Cup 2025, set to return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this summer.
Bringing the ALGS Midseason Playoffs and FC Pro World Championship to the Esports World Cup strengthens its position as the global platform for the industry’s most influential games – expanding the reach of flagship titles, engaging new audiences, and creating more opportunities for players and Clubs. These two major competitions, which previously have sold out arenas alone, joining the EWC line up shows how impactful the event has become in just a few years.
After the successful debut for Apex Legends at the 2024 Esports World Cup, which featured one of the most memorable finals ever seen with 13 games and 12 teams in contention to take the championship, the game will now bring its official tournament circuit to Riyadh in 2025.
The ALGS Midseason Playoffs will be held from July 10-13, offering a $2 million USD prize pool, with 40 of the world’s best teams fighting for the title. The tournament will begin with the Pool Play Stage (July 10-11), where the 40 teams are split into two groups of 20, competing in a series of ten matches to decide qualification. The top seven from each group will go straight to the Match Point Finals (July 13), and the teams ranked 8th-17th from each group will fight for the final six places in the Finals via the Last Chance Semifinals (July 12). The winning team will take home $600,000 USD, alongside 1000 invaluable Championship Points that will decide who qualifies for the ALGS 2025 Championship.
The FC Pro World Championship, taking place from August 7-10, will see the world’s top EA FC players competing for a $1.5 million prize pool, which includes LCQ & play-ins’ share of $500k, with the tournament winner taking home $250,000 USD. A Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) will run from July 31 – August 3 onsite in Riyadh, offering 512 players a chance to secure a spot in the Play-Ins. 48 players will then compete in the Play-Ins for the remaining four places in the FC Pro World Championship. The Group Stage, consisting of 32 players total, will run on August 7 and 8, with the playoffs beginning on August 9 with the Round of 16. The final day of the competition will see the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Grand Finals, along with a third place match, played on August 10.
The addition of the Last Chance Qualifier to the FC Pro World Championship comes after the fairytale story of EWC 2024, where João “jafonsogv” Vasconcelos went from the Last Chance Qualifier all the way to winning the Esports World Cup trophy. After that success, it was vital that the Last Chance Qualification format returned for 2025, as a new addition to the qualification pathway for the FC Pro World Championship, where over 500 players will have an opportunity to earn one of the 5 remaining seats in the FC Pro World Championship Play-Ins. Some of the biggest FC Pro players will descend in Riyadh including returning 2024 FC Pro World Championship winner Anders Vejrgang, representing some of the biggest football and now esports clubs in the world.
“The ALGS and FC Pro are two of the most competitive and globally recognised circuits in esports,” said Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer, Esports World Cup Foundation. “Together with EA, we’re opening doors for players at every level – from grassroots to elite – to compete on the world’s biggest stage. We’re looking forward to football and esports clubs coming together at the Esports World Cup through FC Pro, and excited to bring ALGS to Riyadh after the incredible response last year. This is the future of esports as a global sport — and we’re just getting started.”
The Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. The tournament’s unique cross-game format will feature Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool across a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together the best and brightest under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports.
The EWC 2025 will feature 2,000 elite players and 200 Clubs from more than 100 countries, competing in 25 tournaments across 24 games for a record-breaking $70+ million prize pool. Tickets are now available at esportsworldcup.com.
