Largest Cash Prize in Esports History
The largest cash prize pool in esports history is $70 million, awarded at the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC 2025), a multi-game event held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24, 2025. This record-breaking total surpasses the previous high of $62.5 million set by the inaugural EWC in 2024.
Key Details:
- Breakdown of the Prize Pool:
- $38+ million distributed across individual game championships (e.g., Dota 2, Valorant, League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, and 20+ other titles).
- $27+ million for the Club Championship, where top organizations compete across multiple games, with the overall winner receiving $7 million.
- $5 million for global qualifying events.
- $450,000 in MVP bonuses for standout players.
- Event Scale: Featured 25 tournaments in 24 games, involving over 2,000 players from 200 elite clubs across 100+ countries. New additions included Chess, Crossfire, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, and Valorant.
- Why It's the Largest: Unlike single-game events like Dota 2's The International 2021 ($40 million), the EWC combines prizes across disciplines in a unified festival format, creating a massive aggregated pool while supporting sustainable growth for teams and players.
Comparison to Previous Records:
For context, here's a quick look at the top single-event prize pools (non-aggregated):
| Rank | Tournament | Year | Prize Pool | Game(s) |
|------|------------|------|------------|---------|
| 1 | The International | 2021 | $40 million | Dota 2 |
| 2 | Gamers8 | 2023 | $45 million | Multi-game (predecessor to EWC) |
| 3 | Esports World Cup | 2024 | $62.5 million | Multi-game |
| 4 | The International | 2019 | $34 million | Dota 2 |
These figures are based on official announcements and verified esports databases as of October 2025. Single-player payouts (e.g., $3 million to Bugha at Fortnite World Cup 2019) are smaller than team/event totals.