Grand prizes, big names: 2nd Esports World Cup starts in Riyadh

The second Esports World Cup has drawn gamers from across the planet, all vying for a slice of the 70 million dollar prize pot, split across 25 competitions, and 24 top-tier games.

It’s ‘game on’ in Saudi Arabia: For the next seven weeks, Riyadh’s Boulevard City will be a gamer’s paradise, as well as home to a festival-style experience for fans. 2000 elite players from 200 clubs and more than 100 countries are here.There’s a wide-range of competitions being played - from first-person shooter to mobile multiplayer battle games. Ralf Reichert , Esports World Cup Foundation's CEO told Euronews:"It's the sheer scale that's unheard of. Esports is just at the start of its tenure and it’s there to grow to become one of the biggest sports in the world in the next decades."For the hosts, Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, the president of the Saudi Esports Federation shared his enthusiasm with the assembled media: "One of the most spectacular things about gaming is your first initiation to someone, your first meeting of someone, is not who they are as a colour, skin, religion, background, race, gender. It is an avatar in the game and therefore their skill."The Esports World Cup also attracts plenty of star power. Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo is the tournament’s official ambassador and American pop star Post Malone headlines the opening ceremony of this giant gaming festival.