Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Recent

The first-ever Esports World Cup (EWC) is underway in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, drawing the world's top gamers to compete across 22 tournaments for a staggering 60 million U.S. dollars prize pool, which organizers have called "life-changing."

Amidst scorching August temperatures, with mercury soaring to 45 degrees Celsius, electrical fans are omnipresent in Saudi Arabia to combat the sweltering heatwave.

Stepping into the dazzling esports arena along the boulevard, the air conditioning provides respite from the searing heat outside, but inside, the competition among hundreds of gamers across the three venues hosting the games is nothing short of intense.

The players are battling it out for a massive 60 million U.S. dollars, an unprecedented sum in the esports realm, earning the title of the "Hall of Fame" in this prestigious event.

The coveted Esports World Cup awaits the triumphant team at the conclusion of the competition, with Team Falcon of Saudi Arabia currently leading the pack, closely followed by the Gladiators and other contenders. Over the next two months, teams will amass points, and the ultimate victor with the highest score will claim the World Cup.

Featuring 22 tournaments spanning the two-month-long competition, popular games such as Fortnite, EA Sports, and Street Fighter are captivating millions of fans worldwide.

Massive investments and resources have been injected into esports, yielding impressive results. After the initial month of the tournament, staggering figures have been unveiled.

In the first 4 weeks of the Cup, a record 177.5 million viewing hours have been clocked. On site, visitors have already reached one million. The games are being followed by 3.4 billion gamers worldwide. And the final weeks promise to be even more intense.

Within the first four weeks of the competition, a groundbreaking 177.5 million viewing hours have been amassed. On-site attendance has already surpassed one million visitors. The games have garnered a global following of 3.4 billion gamers.
The forthcoming weeks are poised to escalate the excitement even further.

Shotlist:
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Recent:
1. Various of electrical fan on street, pedestrian;
2. Man walking into esports arena;
3. Various of competition in progress, audience cheering;
4. Various of Esports World Cup trophy;
5. Various of competition in progress, audience;
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic, dubbed in English) Abdul Mohse, esports enthusiast from Saudi Arabia (starting from shot 5):
"I came here with my son to watch Fortnite, and we enjoyed it a lot. It’s really great.";
7. Various of competition in progress, audience.

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