By Sagar V. Mankar 
Apex Legends, the popular free-to-play Battle Royale game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts (EA), has been announced as the 19th title to be featured in the inaugural EWC lineup.
This addition holds significance for several reasons:
- EA’s Involvement: EA’s other major title, EA Sports FC 24, was already announced as a marquee game for the EWC 2024, indicating the publisher’s strong presence at the event.
- Esports Growth: Over the past few months, several professional esports teams, including Cloud9, Spacestation Gaming, Virtus.pro, and NAVI (Natus Vincere), have signed Apex Legends rosters. This suggests a growing interest in the game’s esports scene, likely influenced by the Saudi government’s financial incentives for teams to participate in EWC titles.
The Diverse EWC Lineup
The Esports World Cup promises to showcase a diverse range of popular esports titles, catering to various gaming communities worldwide.
Alongside Apex Legends and EA Sports FC 24, the lineup includes:
- Counter-Strike 2
- Dota 2
- Fortnite
- Free Fire
- Honor of Kings
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends Bang Bang
- Overwatch 2
- PUBG
- PUBG Mobile
- Rainbow Six
- Rocket League
- RENNSPORT
- StarCraft II
- Street Fighter 6
- Teamfight Tactics
- TEKKEN 8
Uniting the Esports Community
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, expressed excitement about the diverse lineup, stating,
“We are incredibly excited and thankful to all the Publishers and Game Developers making this dream lineup a reality. Uniting and showcasing the power of esports and the esports community becomes the reality. Billions of players across the world play these games, and we can’t wait to bring all of those vibrant fan communities together in Riyadh this summer.”
What is the Esports World Cup (EWC)?
The Esports World Cup is a new, multi-title esports event backed by the Saudi government, boasting a staggering $45 million prize pool.
The tournament will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will feature a range of the most popular esports titles, including the latest addition Apex Legends.