The Esports World Cup Foundation has partnered with Tencent in an effort to grow the international esports group in China.
Tencent, one of the largest groups in the video game industry and in China, has a thriving esports network in China. Considering it owns Riot Games, which has League of Legends and Valorant esports under its belt, it makes sense that Tencent is influential in Chinese esports.
Tencent also has a stake in many other games with large esports scenes, including Fortnite, PUBG, and Honor of Kings. Several of these games are featured at the Esports World Cup 2025. The remaining two spots may see the addition of other Tencent-backed games.
The Esports World Cup Foundation is focused on uniting esports around the world. Tencent will help with this goal, providing marketing ideas, consulting, and supporting the operations in China.
Thamer Alshuaibi, the Chief of Staff at the Esports World Cup Foundation, shared his thoughts on the partnership:
“The Esports World Cup’s purpose is to create a global platform for esports and gaming fans worldwide, and investing in key growth markets for esports is a core pillar of our mission. China plays a critical role in this vision, and Tencent’s leadership in gaming and esports positions it as an essential partner. By combining our expertise, we will continue to strengthen esports as an industry, providing new opportunities for Chinese players and Clubs, and bringing the best of the Esports World Cup to Chinese fans.”
The Vice President of Tencent Games and the General Manager of Tencent Esports, Mars Hou, was also excited about it:
“The Esports World Cup has created a global stage for competitive gaming, demonstrating its influence not only in China but across the world. Through this partnership, we are committed to elevating EWC’s presence in China and integrating our esports industry with the world’s largest competitive gaming event. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with EWCF to push esports forward on a global scale.”
The agreement between Tencent and the Esports World Cup Foundation came about at the Empower Esports Worldwide Series – The Esports Operation and Technology Session that was held in China.
The Esports World Cup Foundation has had a busy few weeks, as it’s still unveiling the games that will be featured in the 2025 tournament. Plus, the group is also helping with the first Olympic esports games, which was just announced. It’ll take place in 2027 in Saudi Arabia,
