Overview:

The Esports World Cup is the pinnacle of esports and what it can be. The event was designed from the ground up to be the most encompassing, largest, and highest stakes tournament in the world of gaming. It’s inaugural year was in 2024 in the city of Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Over it’s 8 weeks, there were 23 tournaments across 22 games, 4 major arenas, with a $62.5 million prize pool, the largest in esports history. It would also introduce the Club Championship in which top performing esports organizations could compete across several games with points earned by their placings in different games. It is all part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, to make Riyadh a global hub of gaming.

I was optimistic towards this ambitious project and volunteered to travel out to Riyadh as a Creative Producer on titles I’ve already worked on in the past: COD Warzone, Teamfight Tactics, and COD Modern Warfare III.

Over the course of 3 long weeks in the ripe Saudi summer, we successfully produced and delivered shows that the world would appreciate, and witnessed unforgettable moments as the largest prize pools in esports history would find their way into the pockets of the best players on the planet. By the end of my time there, my team would deliver 260 unique pieces of content for the titles we worked on, a great majority of which had to be localized in Arabic as well as English. We were all challenged greatly, and became better because of it.

The cultural experience was another aspect that was very rewarding. For many of us, it was our first time traveling to the Middle East. I was fortunate enough to go on a cultural tour in Riyadh, sponsored by the event, and learn about customs and the Arabic way of life. As part of our graduation we took part in a traditional meal and were gifted thobes and headscarfs. It was a memory of a lifetime.

Deliverables:

Team Heroshots, Player Heroshots, Player Headshots, Team Hypestingers, Daily Recaps, Player Reactions, Top 5 Videos, Match of the Day Crosscuts, Player Interviews, Roundtables, Entertainment Content, Boulevard Tour Video, Event B-Roll Coverage 

Collaborators:

Activision, ESL FACEIT Group, Esports World Cup Foundation, MShot Studio, Riot Games, Visual Expert

Challenges:

The challenges of EWC were among the hardest I’ve ever encountered in esports. Our teams worked around the clock, 12+ hour days on average, with no time off at all during production weeks. Unfortunately the post-production workflow, which I had very limited influence over, encountered numerous issues. These issues caused delays in content piece editing, localization, and deliveries. Nevertheless, we persevered, and through sheer willpower and determination, were able to get through the “trial by fire”. The massive volume of content being created on-site was a feat in itself. With several videos being filmed simultaneously, media day crews with post-production put me in charge of 20+ personnel, among which I’m proud of each of them. The success of this project wouldn’t be possible without them, working the hardest and longest. It tested what everyone was capable of, and the entire team arose victorious in the end.