Smilegate announced on the 24th that its global mega-hit first-person shooter game "Crossfire" has been officially selected as an event for the "Esports World Cup (Esports World Cup, EWC) 2025" scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia.
The EWC is the largest comprehensive esports competition in the world, hosted by the Saudi Arabia Esports World Cup Foundation. Crossfire has signed a three-year partnership with the EWC foundation for this event and will participate as one of 18 genres, including FPS, MOBA, and battle royale. EWC 2025 is set to take place in Riyadh next summer.
Fabian Schoyer, chief gaming officer of the EWC foundation, said, "Crossfire has established itself as one of the most beloved games globally, including in China and the Asia-Pacific region, and its passionate fan base continues to grow steadily. We are very happy to have Crossfire at EWC 2025." He additionally noted, "We will collaborate with Crossfire for the sustainable growth of esports as a global sport."
Jang In-ah, CEO of Smilegate Entertainment, said, "The inclusion of Crossfire as an event in EWC 2025 is a significant turning point for the Crossfire esports ecosystem, and we will further solidify Crossfire's position on the global stage and provide the best experience for players and fans."
Released in 2007, Crossfire has over 1.1 billion users across 80 countries worldwide, and the Crossfire esports tournament, CFS, celebrates its 11th anniversary this year. The "CFS 2024 Grand Final," which concluded in Hangzhou, China, on the 15th, featured 16 teams from around the world and concluded successfully.
The EWC held its first tournament last year, offering a total prize pool of $600 million (approximately 860 million won) and attracting participation from 200 clubs and over 1,500 players across 100 countries. The eight-week competition garnered 2.6 million viewers and recorded 500 million views.