Latest news with #RalfReichert
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Catching up with Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation
The Esports World Cup officially kicked off last week with its second annual tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, drawing over 2,000 competitors from 84 different countries. CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, Ralf Reichert, described the event's $70 million prize pool as 'by far the largest prize pool in the industry, and probably in almost all of sports'. And while in Riyadh last week, CNN's Eleni Giokos caught up with Reichert, to hear more of his observations about this expanding industry.
CNN
2 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Catching up with Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation
The Esports World Cup officially kicked off last week with its second annual tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, drawing over 2,000 competitors from 84 different countries. CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, Ralf Reichert, described the event's $70 million prize pool as "by far the largest prize pool in the industry, and probably in almost all of sports". And while in Riyadh last week, CNN's Eleni Giokos caught up with Reichert, to hear more of his observations about this expanding industry.
Arabian Business
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arabian Business
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Saudi Arabia is different,' says Esports World Cup CEO; Riyadh tops LA, Seoul in global gaming
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince publicly identifies as a gamer – a unique advantage that traditional esports capitals such as Los Angeles and Seoul do not match, according to the CEO of the Esports World Cup. 'What is different in Saudi Arabia [is] that it has a head of state, the Crown Prince, who himself publicly has identified as a gamer,' Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup, said in an exclusive interview with Arabian Business. 'I think in the rest of the world, we're still living in a world where the head of states, or not all leadership has grown up with video games.' This political backing, Reichert argued, gives Riyadh a decisive advantage over traditional esports capitals like Los Angeles or Seoul. The kingdom's young population and relatively young leader create a 'cultural, political basis' that puts 'esports right front and centre,' he explained. Building a lasting esports ecosystem For the Esports World Cup, the ambition is as big as the prize pool – turn gamers into global superstars and make the platform a single unifying force in a fragmented industry. 'The core, core goal of the Esports World Cup itself is number one, elevating the industry,' Reichert said. 'If you look back at the history of esports, it has grown continuously. It has jumped through a lot of hoops and made a lot of steps forward. But what was missing was this one uniting tournament that brings all the best games together. This is the role of the Esports World Cup.' The inaugural edition, now underway in Riyadh, is already the largest esports event ever staged, attracting thousands of players and fans from around the globe. The choice of Riyadh as host city reflects more than just infrastructure. Reichert pointed to widespread government support – from special esports visas, to the city's branding and even mobile networks displaying 'Esports World Cup' on devices – as proof of how seriously Saudi Arabia is investing in the sector. 'It goes through any touchpoint you can have with the city and the government, that the Esports World Cup is right front and centre, which just shows how welcoming and supportive the country, the city of Riyadh, is from a structural perspective,' he added. For Reichert, the Esports World Cup is not just about competition, but about creating an ecosystem that can sustain careers, clubs, and publishers alike. 'It all starts with the players, where we want to make them global superstars and actually enable them to follow their passion as a job. That's why we have our life-changing prize,' he said. Reichert envisions the tournament becoming among the largest sports event in the world within the next decade, positioning it as an 'unparalleled' gathering where 'people can come together without borders.' Looking ahead, Reichert envisions the Esports World Cup becoming one of the biggest sporting events and perhaps the largest global gathering of any kind. 'It will be among the largest sports events in the world, which is our clear goal as well. And it will be one point in time where, probably unparalleled, people can come together without borders,' he said. 'One of the big differences in gaming is that even when you play your everyday match, you don't have borders. Everyone who competes in esports by itself is a global citizen, and then participating and visiting esports tournaments, therefore, always has this extra community feeling. And therefore it should be the biggest community gathering in the world.' The initiative includes life-changing prize pools, a club programme designed to bring stability to the ecosystem, and significant investment in broadcast networks. For Reichert personally, gaming remains a family affair. He plays Dota and Clash Royale with his children, 'I hope my kids make it something,' he said with a laugh. Reichert said outsiders often fail to grasp how embedded gaming already is in Middle Eastern culture. 'Gaming is so deeply cultural, rooted in the Middle East that it's very hard to find someone who hasn't gamed or doesn't game,' he said. 'It's much harder than to find someone who does not game, right? 70 per cent plus of the Saudi population are gamers. It's a social fabric that is connecting people across the Middle East, across the world, across families, and across any border you can think of.' Riyadh hosts record-breaking Esports World Cup The 2025 Esports World Cup is taking place this summer in Riyadh as the largest competitive gaming tournament ever staged, featuring more than 24 game titles, 2,000 athletes, 200 teams, and a record-breaking $70 million prize pool — the biggest in esports history. Running for seven weeks at Riyadh Boulevard City, the event has drawn thousands of players and fans, with millions more watching online through its global broadcast network. Within the next decade, Reichert expects the Esports World Cup to evolve dramatically and grow in global relevance over the next decade. 'It will be among the largest sports events in the world, which is our clear goal as well,' he said. He believes esports has a unique ability to transcend borders in a way traditional sports cannot. 'Even when you play your everyday match, unlike in other sports, you don't have borders. Everyone who competes in esports by itself is a global citizen,' he explained. That sense of global connection, he said, is what makes esports special — and what he hopes the World Cup will embody. 'Participating and visiting esports tournaments always has this extra community feeling,' Reichert said. 'And therefore it should be the biggest community gathering in the world.'
Forbes
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
'Esports Is The Biggest Sport That The Mainstream Doesn't Know About'
Ralf Reichert, CEO of Esport World Cup Foundation, talks to media during the launch of the Esports ... More World Cup in Riyadh, on October 23, 2023. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images) There was a time when multiplayer gaming involved squashing onto a couch with your buddies and sharing a TV screen together. The advent of online gaming changed the way we interacted with other players. Suddenly we could play Halo 2 and FIFA against people from around the world. That ability gave birth to esports - tournaments where professional gamers compete in games like League of Legends and Overwatch to win money. Through advertising, sponsorship and merchandise sales, the industry has grown in value exponentially. It is predicted that it will be worth around $5 billion by the end of 2025. Last year, the inaugural esports World Cup was held in Saudi Arabia and in 2027, the country will also host the first Olympic Esport Games. As this year's World Cup gets underway, I spoke with the tournament's CEO, Ralf Reichert, about how the esports industry has grown and why video games are so popular. How has the esports industry grown? Esports is probably the biggest sport in the world that the mainstream doesn't know about. There's 3.4 billion people playing video games and we have 700 million esports fans. I remember playing esports tournaments in London back in 1998/1999. It was the place to be but [the industry] Where will the esports industry go in the future? (Photo by Clive Rose - Gran Turismo/Gran Turismo via Getty Images) If you look at the esports industry now, it's probably only ranked in the top ten sports in the world but it will certainly become a top three sport. I think that's natural because of a demographic change. More and more people are growing up with video games. They're more accessible too with phones as everyone has a super high performance computer in their pocket. That will continue to make esports grow. Now with the esports World Cup and the Olympics, the industry has moved from being a private business to something that has become more integral to society. It will continue to grow for the next ten or twenty years in a very linear manner and it'll become more socially relevant. Which traditional sports will esports be bigger than? I assume football (soccer) will be on top. In terms of commercialisation, the NFL is unbelievably big and then cricket [is huge] because of its presence in Asia. Esports will have to get ahead of one of those three but I can't say which one it'll surpass right now. Why do people want to watch others play video games? League of Legends Worlds Championship semifinals at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on October ... More 30, 2022. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage / AFP) (Photo by ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images) That question applies to any sport and entertainment form. You're watching someone, like a gaming influencer, who is funny or witty. You watch them on a regular basis and follow their life and leisure activities. It's not so different from soap operas or documentaries where you follow people. Then if you look at it from a competitive aspect, esports is the same as any traditional sport. Sport is a meaningful thing. There's always a social context around it like the UEFA Champions League [in football] and that's the same for video games. Sport is also non-scripted so no-one knows how it'll end. People also watch esports because you get to see the best players perform. There's always an element of seeing someone perform at a level which is higher than you've seen before. You can then jump into the game yourself and try to recreate what you've just watched. In sports like football or tennis, that's a little harder as you need to leave the house and find a place to play with someone else. In video games it's just a click away so translating what you've see from theory into practice is much easier. It has a more direct impact on your life. Why is gaming so popular in the modern era? There are three reasons. Number one is accessibility. Video games have such a low barrier for entry with consoles and PCs being available across the world. Smartphones are easy to access too. Number two is that games are inherently social and competitive. It means you can play together and against people from all over the world at the click of a button. Compared to a lot of other activities, games have this huge social mould. Number three is that games put you into a world that you can only imagine. Here, you can not only read or listen to fiction, but you can actually create it. That's unbelievable because it's not only a medium you can consume, it's a medium where you can tell a story and it's not something that's been done before. The esports World Cup began on July 8 and will conclude on August 24.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Grand prizes, big names: 2nd Esports World Cup starts in Riyadh
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." Related Ronaldo, Magnus Carlsen and a $70 million cash pot: Inside the Esports World Cup 2025 For the hosts, Prince 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.
