The Esports World Cup Foundation, the organizers behind the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have revealed Mastercard as its latest partner.
Image credit: Esports World Cup Foundation/Mastercard
According to a release, the two partners will be working together on on-site activations and focusing on fan engagement, rather than the technological part of the digital payments, despite stating that the latter is part of the deal.
Mastercard will be holding tournaments every week for people attending the event and handing out rewards to the best performers. A booth will be set up, where fans will be able to participate in meet and greets with Saudi esports players and personalities.
Mastercard has been a long-standing partner in the esports industry, having signed a multi-year deal with Riot Games back in 2018 and extended towards the end of 2022. The digital payment system joins other global brands such as Amazon, TikTok, Pepsi, Logitech G, Adidas, and Secretlab, among others, further strengthening the EWC sponsors portfolio.
“With Saudi Arabia being home to some of the most skilled and dedicated gamers in the world, we are proud to contribute to the development of the Kingdom’s gaming industry in line with Vision 2030 and in tandem with the Saudi Esports Federation,” said Maria Medvedeva, Country Manager for Saudi Arabia & Bahrain at Mastercard. “We look forward to further strengthening our long-standing partnership with SEF to fuel the robust gaming ecosystem in the Kingdom. We look forward to welcoming people from all over the world to EWC.”
The Esports World Cup took headlines having created the world’s largest esports event, with a total of 22 competitions and a gigantic $60 million prize pool. Despite the grandiosity, many esports fans have criticized the EWC as Saudi Arabia’s attempt to ‘esportswash’ due to the country’s human rights record.
LOL
CS2
Dota 2
Valorant
Fortnite
Call of Duty
Mobile Games
Gaming
EN Global 
JP 日本語