From 16 to 32: The Esports World Cup is gearing up for EA SPORTS FC 25. The qualification process has now been announced, but details remain extremely vague.
In around two months, the second edition of the Esports World Cup will begin – once again with record prize money. The total prize pool is equivalent to around 63 million euros. As in the previous year, one million US dollars will go to the EA SPORTS FC 25 tournament, which is considered the unofficial world championship.
However, it is still unclear how much the winner will receive. In 2024, Portugal’s João Vasconcelos secured a total of $300,000 as champion.
In purely financial terms, the tournament therefore remains highly attractive – but places are limited. Last year, 16 players took part, only ten of whom had qualified through qualifying tournaments. For 2025, the field has been doubled to 32 eSports players.
Last Chance Qualifiers for FC 25
As recently announced by the Esports World Cup Foundation, there will be a final qualifying round in July: The Last Chance Qualifiers will offer a final opportunity to qualify for the event in Riyadh in games such as chess, EA SPORTS FC 25, and Overwatch 2.
However, it is not yet known how many of the 32 starting places will be allocated in this way or how many players will receive an invitation. It is also unclear whether the DreamHacks will again produce qualifiers.
The other qualification routes
The other qualification routes vary depending on the game. In mobile titles such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Free Fire, PUBG Mobile, and Honor of Kings, national champions qualify via regional leagues in Southeast Asia, MENA, and LATAM.
For titles such as League of Legends, Valorant, Overwatch 2, and Apex Legends, official publisher leagues such as LEC, VCT, OWCS, and ALGS serve as the main gateway to the world stage. Dota 2, Call of Duty: Warzone, PUBG, Teamfight Tactics, and StarCraft II, on the other hand, rely on open online qualifiers.
In the fighting game scene – for example, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, or Fatal Fury – the path to participation runs through community tournaments such as EVO Japan, Combo Breaker, or CEO.
