The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) today unveiled the return of its distinctive Trophy System for the Esports World Cup 2025, strengthening competitive recognition in global sport with a system that honors excellence across every journey, unites elite performance with legacy, and captures the spirit of cross-game competition.
First introduced in 2024, the EWC Trophy System features four core elements: the Key, Game Trophies, the Club Championship Trophy, and the Totem — a permanent structure in Riyadh’s Boulevard that will chronicle the history of EWC champions. At the heart is the Club Championship Trophy, crafted in collaboration with world-class trophy designers and makers, Thomas Lyte, while the remaining elements – the Keys, Game Trophies, and Totem – were produced in collaboration with the creative studio Holy Grail. Together, the system returns to Riyadh to recognise those who rise above on the world’s biggest stage.
Each participant receives a personalized Key: an engraved inner heart encased in a removable frame. This Key represents their right to compete—symbolizing a place among the world’s best. For returning champions, the Key is newly styled to mark their title-defending status.
When a team or player wins a tournament, their Key is placed into the corresponding Game Trophy, completing the trophy and sealing their victory. The frame of the winning Key is then embedded into the Totem—a monumental timeline of every Club, player, and game that shapes EWC 2025. The Totem will remain on display throughout the event and beyond, a lasting tribute to competitive excellence.
Eliminated players and teams must surrender their Keys, which are ceremonially crushed after every game. These fragments are encased in resin and added to the Totem’s base—a symbolic resting place for those who fell short. As a final mark of triumph, each Game Champion selects three defeated Keys to be embedded in the base of their trophy—a personal reminder of the rivals they rose above.
“The EWC Trophy System captures what esports is all about—celebrating each player’s journey, their defining moments, and the legacy they build together,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “It goes beyond trophies—it’s about elevating competition into something meaningful and lasting. Every Key, every frame, every addition to the Totem symbolizes ambition, courage, and the drive to rise above. With this system, those victories become immortal—literally carved into stone.”
The Club Championship trophy was designed and handcrafted by the English luxury brand Thomas Lyte, Royal Warrant-holding goldsmiths and silversmiths to His Majesty King Charles III, and world-renowned creators and restorers of many of the world’s most iconic trophies. The Club Championship trophy was handcrafted from over 9kg of sterling silver bullion and 24-carat gold-plated, and stands 60cm tall. It features interlocking triangles that form the trunk of a palm tree, symbolizing Saudi heritage. A crown-topped globe represents global victory, while twisted handles inspired by computer wiring reflect the modern technology and innovation at the heart of the EWC.
“Thomas Lyte are proud to have designed and handcrafted the first-ever Esports World Cup Club Championship trophy, an ambitious symbol at the pinnacle of competitive gaming,” said Liam Malorey-Vibert, Head of Marketing & Brand at Thomas Lyte. “In close collaboration with the EWC team, we brought centuries of craftsmanship, innovation and passion to the global stage. The result is a bold and prestigious crown for esports’ ultimate champion.”
The creative vision behind the Trophy System returns in this year’s cinematic unveiling, produced by the award-winning Territory Studio. Set within a dynamic 3D environment that merges brutalist architecture with futuristic design, the film conveys the intensity of competition through triangle motifs, sand metaphor transitions, and high-stakes key interactions. A cascading, cause-and-effect narrative, scored with resonant metal acoustics, elevates the ritual of victory into a powerful visual experience.
“Will your dreams be broken or your name will be carved in stone?” reads the film’s script. “At EWC, nothing is granted. Everything is earned.”
“It was a fantastic opportunity to be charged with the creative vision for the EWC Trophy System, to craft a sequence that reflects the scale, energy, and cultural significance of this global competition,” said Chris Sharpe, Creative Director at Territory Studio. “The project allowed us to develop a broad visual identity for the event that captures the highly competitive world of esports, that resonates with fans and players alike. The approach is underpinned by a concept proposal; ‘the path to immortality’ – a notion of heroic destiny and lasting legacy.”
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 reward Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool across a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together esports’ best teams, players and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports. This summer, over 2,000 elite players and 200 top Clubs from more than 100 countries will battle across 25 tournaments in 24 games, for a record-breaking $70+ million life-changing prize pool, the largest in esports history.
