Goals & Ambitions
The innovative EWCF Club Support Programme aims to support the development of long-term infrastructure for multifunctional esports clubs. Additionally, the programme gives esports Clubs the ability to increase their commitment across more games, giving athletes worldwide competitive support and meaningful career prospects.
The EWCF Club Support Program offers substantial funding to participating esports organizations, facilitating their entry into new esports titles at a top-tier level. This initiative not only broadens their competitive reach but also fosters increased opportunities for esports athletes. With this financial support, esports Clubs have been able to re-engage with titles where they have established longstanding involvement while also venturing into new gaming genres with significant grassroots appeal. Moreover, the funding has facilitated expansion into international markets by enabling clubs to recruit athletes and rosters beyond their domestic boundaries, thus contributing to the development of a more robust global esports ecosystem. Additionally, clubs have utilized the funding to create innovative content avenues, showcasing compelling athlete narratives and bolstering fan engagement, supported by the recruitment of necessary personnel.
Partnership with Clubs
The Programme expanded the number of open spots from 28 to 30 in response to the strong interest it received from Clubs throughout the globe. Eight of the thirty Clubs were chosen after the EWC Foundation received more than 150 proposals during its open application period in February 2024. Three primary factors were used to evaluate applications: a club’s history in esports, its competitive strategy and objectives for the future, and its innovative approach to content creation and fan interaction. The 30 Clubs that make up the EWCF Club Support Programme are from five key esports regions: Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and the Middle East. This makes the programme truly international.
However, membership in the EWC Club Support Programme does not entitle a club to compete in the Esports World Cup. For each championship, every Club and individual must aim to qualify based only on their abilities. All EWC competitors have access to the prize pools from each Game Championship as well as the cross-game EWC Club Championship. All EWC Club Support Programme participants will be eligible for yearly financial incentives depending on their capacity to increase viewership and fan interaction at the EWC, regardless of their qualification for the Esports World Cup.
Rewards & Recognition
The top 16 Clubs will split a total of $20 million in the Club Championship, a novel cross-game competitive structure exclusive to the EWC, depending on how well they play across games. The Club that performs the best across all game championships will be declared the inaugural Esports World Cup Club Champion at the event’s completion. Furthermore, there will be separate prize pools for each of the 20 Game Championships, totalling more than $33 million. A $50,000 MVP Award will be given to the competition’s most outstanding contestant.
