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The list of 40 esports organisations in the 2025 Esports World Cup Foundation Club Partner Program has today been revealed.
The $20m EWFC Club Partner Program offers participating orgs up to $1m in funding ‘to expand their brand and grow their global audience through innovative content and marketing campaigns leading up to and throughout the Esports World Cup 2025’.
The announcement comes a few months after the Esports World Cup Foundation expanded its Club Partner Program from 30 to 40 orgs.
The EWCF says it’s supporting esports orgs with a funding model that contributes to orgs’ ‘financial stability and brand growth’.
“To achieve this, the 2025 Program will focus on fueling global fan growth across all borders and games through impactful storytelling and creative campaigns,” according to a press release.
“Leveraging EWCF support, the 40 Partner Clubs, reaching over 300 million fans, will drive global growth by creating compelling experiences and content that deepen their connection with fans worldwide, including behind-the-scenes production, player documentaries, and live fan experiences that excite their communities. The 2025 program offers modular funding for campaigns that engage fans, tell EWC-related stories, and enable Club-driven innovation.”
“This year’s 40 partnered clubs represent a diverse and dynamic cross-section of global esports, spanning legacy organisations, rising stars and global powerhouses that collectively define the rich history and the rapidly evolving future of the industry.”
Faisal Bin Homran, Esports World Cup Foundation
According to a press release, all clubs were selected through a ‘rigorous evaluation process’ that reviewed nearly 200 applications. This included assessing their competitive track record in the Club Championship in 2024, their potential across multiple games, social media presence, fan engagement, and their strategic plans for activating their global esports audience.
Eight clubs received direct invitations based on their EWC 2024 Club Championship ranking, while the remaining spots were allocated through an open application process. 19 clubs joined for the first time, and 21 returned from the inaugural year.
Those who aren’t in this year’s EWCF Club Partner Program but were in the 2024 one include TSM, Guild, Tundra, Blacklist International, Spacestation Gaming and more, while newcomers include the likes of Edward Gaming, Wolves, Team BDS and others.
“Membership in the EWCF Club Partner Program is subject to annual renewal in line with the Program’s requirements, reflecting the dynamic nature of the esports industry,” according to a press release. “A Club’s participation in the program does not guarantee a spot at the Esports World Cup 2025. All Clubs are required to qualify through official qualification pathways to earn their spot in each game’s EWC tournament.”
The Esports World Cup 2025 will once again take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Full list of 40 orgs in Esports World Cup Foundation Club Partner Program
The full line-up of clubs, in alphabetic order, are:
- 100 Thieves
- All Gamers
- Bilibili Gaming
- Cloud9
- Edward Gaming
- Evos
- Faze Clan
- Fnatic
- Furia
- G2 Esports
- Gaimin Gladiators
- Gen.G
- Gentle Mates
- Heroic
- JD Gaming
- Karmine Corp.
- Movistar Koi
- Leviatan
- Loud
- Mouz
- Navi
- NIP.eStar
- Onic
- Powr
- Reject
- S8UL
- Sentinels
- T1
- Team BDS
- Team Falcons
- Team Liquid
- Team RRQ
- Team Secret
- Team Spirit
- Team Vitality
- Twisted Minds
- Virtus.pro
- Weibo Gaming
- Wolves Esports
- Zeta Division
In terms of UK-headquartered organisations, Wolves Esports have been added, joining Fnatic, while last year’s orgs Guild and Tundra are not returning for 2025.
Wolves also won the TFT Esports World Cup in 2024.
The Esports World Cup Foundation said: “With this year’s focus on high-growth regions, the 2025 EWCF Club Partner Program represents a truly global roster, including six orgs from China, alongside additions from rapidly expanding markets like Japan, India and LATAM.”
The 2025 Club Program applications in China were supported by Tencent E-Sports, which has facilitated the process for 20 clubs that have applied.
“Six clubs were selected, including All Gamers, Bilibili Gaming, Edward Gaming, JD Gaming, Weibo Gaming, and Wolves Esports—China’s most dominant teams, engaging over 125m Chinese fans through gaming, entertainment, and lifestyle content,” organisers added.
“Additionally, eStar, as part of NIP, has also been added to the line-up, ‘further serving the expansion of the Club Partner Program in China and activating Chinese fans’.”
Wolves Esports is the esports arm of English Premier League football club Wolverhampton Wanderers, whose owner Fosun Group is an investment group rooted in China.
In addition, Wolves Esports have designed ‘an exclusive team mascot for this year’s Esports World Cup, named SpaceW’.
“Donning a traditional keffiyeh on its head, SpaceW will be the brand ambassador for both the EWC and Wolves,” the club said. “Exclusive emojis and merchandise featuring SpaceW will soon be launched on both domestic and international platforms. Connecting global esports fans through unique team cultural symbols while conveying the esports spirit of both the EWC and Wolves Esports.”
The news also comes after Wolves signed Chinese Chess Grandmaster Yu Yangyi, a member of the Chinese national chess team and a two-time Chess Olympiad team champion, as the Esports World Cup adds chess to its list of games.
‘The addition of Valorant to the Esports World Cup is the perfect time for us to become an official partner’ – orgs and EWCF comment on list of clubs
“The EWCF Club Partner Program is a cornerstone of our mission to build a sustainable future for esports clubs worldwide while creating opportunities for organizations from some of the world’s fastest-growing markets”, said Faisal Bin Homran, Chief Product Officer at the Esports World Cup Foundation.
“This year’s 40 partnered clubs represent a diverse and dynamic cross-section of global esports, spanning legacy organisations, rising stars and global powerhouses that collectively define the rich history and the rapidly evolving future of the industry.”
“By investing in their growth, the program will enable clubs to expand their audience and reach, strengthen their brands, and gain greater visibility through fan-first content, shaping the future of esports as a global sport and mainstream entertainment.”
“Esports is evolving faster than ever, and the EWCF Club Partner Program is driving that evolution by giving Clubs the tools to grow, engage fans, and compete at the highest level,” said Fabien ‘Neo’ Devide, Chairman and co-founder of Team Vitality. “EWC 2024 was a defining moment for us—winning points in five games, two podium finishes, and securing a top-four finish at the Club Championship.
“The scale and energy of the event proved just how influential esports has become.
“We’re proud to be part of the program again, fueled by the enthusiasm of French fans who continue to support and inspire us as we look to elevate our game, win as many tournaments as possible, and carry Team Vitality’s colours high on the biggest stage in esports.”
Fabien ‘Neo’ Devide, Team Vitality
“As one of the fastest growing esports organizations in North America, we are delighted to join the EWCF Club Partner Program,” said Rob Moore, CEO of Sentinels. “Continuing the momentum of our success in 2024, including a major win in Valorant and significant growth across our social channels reaching millions of fans in North America and beyond, the addition of Valorant to the Esports World Cup is the perfect time for us to become an official partner and deliver new and exciting content to an even wider audience.”
“Since Day One, All Gamers has chased esports glory—pushing non-stop for over 20 years. With years of hard work from our teams, we’ve scored big wins in top games and trained legends in the scene,” said Le Kedeng, Chairman of All Gamers.
“Competing at the 2024 EWC against the world’s best, that fire burns bright. Now joining EWCF’s Club Partner Program, here’s our hope: When fans worldwide see Chinese esports through AG, they won’t just recall epic comebacks, but our crew’s unstoppable spirit—cutting through challenges like a blade. That combination of grit and grace—that’s China’s gift to the global esports race.”
There’s more info on the EWC Club Partner Program at esportsworldcup.com/clubprogram
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
