Esports World Cup: AG.AL Wins Tournament in Surprise Victory
BBC Newsbeat
Published 12 minutes ago
A China-based team, AG.AL, has been crowned the surprise winner of the Esports World Cup (EWC) after seven weeks of competition in Paris.
The team secured the tournament trophy and a $7m (£5.1m) top prize at a ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and FIFA boss Gianni Infantino.
Initially scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the event was relocated to France due to safety concerns surrounding the US-Iran conflict in the Middle East. Despite some fan criticism, organizers, the Esports Foundation, claimed the event drew more viewers this year.
Although branded as a World Cup, EWC players compete as individuals or teams across popular video games like Call of Duty and League of Legends, rather than representing their countries.
AG.AL secured victory on the final weekend, thanks to French player Gwendal "Gwen" Duparc, who won a race in Trackmania, edging out the defending champions, Team Falcons based in Saudi Arabia.
Other highlights included:
- Chilean player Jaime "Craime" Bustos becoming the youngest-ever EWC champion at 15 years old, winning the Street Fighter 6 tournament.
- Rocket League pro Samy "dralii" Hajji winning his third consecutive EWC title.
- Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen claiming his second EWC title.
French President Macron presented the winners' trophy to AG.AL's representatives, who were joined on stage by footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. Bin Salman and Infantino also attended the ceremony.
While some players, commentators, and fans have boycotted the EWC due to Saudi Arabia's involvement, the event still draws a large audience. Organizers claim 2,000 players from 100 countries participate, and the tournament reached 850 million viewers, with 175,000 tickets sold.
The EWC is organized by the Esports Foundation, a non-profit entity supported by the Saudi government. The tournament launched with an announcement from Bin Salman, part of the Kingdom's strategy to become a global gaming leader, a practice known as "pixelwashing". The country recently acquired video game giant Electronic Arts in a record-breaking deal.