The Esports World Cup, endorsed by the Saudi Arabian government, is slated to debut in July, featuring a League of Legends tournament, as revealed in a confidential Riot Games email acquired by The Jacob Wolf Report.

Initially announced in October 2023, this eight-week event is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, boasting what is said to be the largest prize pool in the history of esports. League of Legends has been confirmed as the first participating game.

The previous edition, named Gamers8, featured a substantial $45 million prize pool and competitions in various games such as Rocket League and CS:GO. The full lineup for this new tournament hasn't been revealed but will include numerous popular esports titles. With League Of Legends joining, it might be expected to see the same fate for VALORANT as it's another esport under Riot Games.

Riot Games is actively working on the details of League of Legends' participation, intending to allow two teams from each domestic league (such as the LEC or LCK) to enter the competition, emphasizing a fair selection process. However, they will not be selecting the organizations participating, still according to The Jacob Wolf report.

While specifics still have to be determined, Chris Greeley, the head of strategy for League of Legends esports, has requested all leagues to suspend activities during the first week of July to accommodate the Esports World Cup. Simultaneously, Riot Games has outlined dates for the Mid-Season Invitational in May, marking its return to China after a hiatus since 2016.