Tekken 8 announced for Esports World Cup

Bandai Namco-developed fighting game Tekken 8 has become the latest title to join the Esports World Cup (EWC), a Saudi Arabian government-backed multi-title event.

Announced on X (formerly Twitter), Esports World Cup has yet to reveal details such as how the FGC title will be integrated and what the event’s prize pool will be.

Tekken’s inclusion comes one day after Street Fighter 8 was confirmed, the latter of which was the first fighting game to join the EWC. Both Steet Fighter and Tekken were also featured at Gamers8 last year, a $45m (~£35.6m) prize pool esports festival that was a predecessor to Esports World Cup.

The EWC is a multi-title esports festival held yearly by the recently created Esports World Cup Foundation. The inaugural season will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this Summer.

Since its initial announcement in October 2023, the EWC has established a growing selection of competitions, including Dota 2, Overwatch 2, Starcraft II, EA Sports FC, and Counter-Strike 2.

Some of the unveiled tournaments feature significant prize pools. These include the Mobile Legends’ Mid Season Cup, the Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason, and the PUBG Mobile World Cup, with $3m (~£2.4m) prize pools respectively. Moreover, Free Fire announced a $1m (~£792,100) event.

Saudi Arabia’s increased investments into large-scale competitive events and prominent esports companies have been criticised by some members of the esports community due to the country’s stance on women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and censorship.

Although some stakeholders warn that Saudi Arabia could be leveraging esports as a form of ‘esportswashing’, the EWC has secured several partnerships for its first edition. The esports festival has teamed up with Sony, Level Infinite, and Saudi Arabian real estate project Qiddya.