Liquid, NRG, & FURIA headline EWC Club Support Program Members

The Esports World Cup has officially revealed the 30 esports organizations that have joined the inaugural club program. The program was initially announced to have only 28 member organizations, with 22 directly invited to take part and six spots open to the application process. It was expanded to 30 spots after receiving over 150 applications.

Details regarding which organizations were invited versus those that were accepted via application were not publicly released.

The application deadlines for the program were made in February, and the EWC Foundation took the last three months to sift through the candidates and determine who would participate in the annual six-figure payout program. Determinations for membership were based on organizations with a track record of long-term strategy, building teams in multiple titles, and engaging with a global fanbase.

Organizations that are part of the program will not automatically gain entry into the Esports World Cup, as each entrant will need to qualify for the tournament through traditional qualifiers.

The Saudi-backed Esports World Cup was first announced in October 2023 with a view on making Saudi Arabia, and especially Riyadh, a capital for esports as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 program which aims to diversify the country's economy away from oil.

The program includes North American-based organizations such as 100Thieves, Spacestation, Liquid, TSM, NRG, FaZe, Cloud9, and Gaimin Gladiators, all of which have a history of involvement in North American Counter-Strike. Brazilian organizations FURIA and LOUD are also involved in the program. Other notable organizations include Fnatic, G2, Karmine Corp, Vitality, and Ninjas in Pyjamas. You can view the full list below.