The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) just dropped some HUGE news, officially announcing the 40 teams that are joining their Club Partner Program for 2025. This is a big deal, set to seriously level up the Esports World Cup (EWC) happening later this year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The reveal happened today, March 17th, 2025, and this program is all about giving some serious love to the participating organizations, aiming to help them grow while hyping up the summer event. With a massive $20 million prize pool dedicated to this program, these selected teams are poised to make a real splash on the global esports stage.
What’s the Deal with the Esports World Cup Club Partner Program?
Think of the EWCF Club Partner Program as a way to bring the top esports organizations right into the heart of the EWC vision. These 40 teams – chosen from nearly 200 applicants, which is insane! – are going to be helping promote the event through awesome content and marketing efforts.
And what do they get in return? Some serious financial and operational support to help their brands grow and even branch out into new competitive games. The program includes 32 brand-new teams who just got selected, plus the top eight from the 2024 Club Championship, so it’s a mix of fresh faces and established powerhouses.
Show Me the Money! Incentives for the Lucky 40
Each of these 40 participating teams can potentially snag up to a cool $1 million in funding! This isn’t just a handout, though; it’s tailored to their performance and how engaged they are with the program. This financial boost can be used to expand their brand, create killer content campaigns, and even help them jump into new esports titles.
But wait, there’s more! On top of that base funding, teams can earn extra rewards through merit-based activities, like completing special “bounties” and running promotional campaigns leading up to EWC 2025. The goal here is to really strengthen these teams’ presence both in their home regions and on the international stage.
Who Made the Cut? Some Seriously Big Names!
Among the 40 teams, you’ll spot some absolute titans of the esports world, like Team Liquid, Fnatic, and T1. But it’s not just the usual suspects; there are also some rising stars from regions like China, where a whopping six out of their 20 applicants made it into the program! This diverse lineup really shows the program’s global reach and its commitment to supporting talent from all over the world.
The Veterans: Back for Another Round!
What’s even cooler is that eight of these spots were direct invites, going to the absolute top-ranked teams from last year’s Esports World Cup!
- 100 Thieves
- Cloud9
- FaZe Clan
- Fnatic
- FURIA Esports
- G2 Esports
- Gaimin Gladiators
- Gen.G Esports
- Karmine Corp
- Movistar KOI
- LOUD
- NAVI (Natus Vincere)
- Team Liquid
- Team Falcons
- Team Secret
- Team Vitality
- Twisted Minds
- Virtus.pro
- Weibo Gaming
- T1
Fresh Faces for 2025
- All Gamers
- Bilibili Gaming
- Edward Gaming
- EVOS
- Gentle Mates
- HEROIC
- JD Gaming
- LEVIATAN
- MOUZ
- NIP.eStar
- ONIC
- POWR
- REJECT
- S8UL
- Sentinels
- Team BDS
- Team RRQ
- Team Spirit
- Wolves Esports
- ZETA DIVISION
Farewell for Now: Orgs Not in the 2025 Lineup
- Guild Esports
- OG
- NRG Esports
- Spacestation Gaming
- Blacklist International
- LGD Gaming
- Talon Esports
What’s Next for the Esports World Cup 2025?
The Esports World Cup 2025 is set to be a landmark event, taking place this summer in Riyadh. We already know that Crossfire is locked in as one of the featured games thanks to a three-year partnership, and we can expect more title announcements coming soon.
The Club Partner Program is making sure that these 40 teams are going to play a major role in building up the hype and delivering some truly world-class competition. Get ready for an epic summer of esports!