EWC to open with a celebration of gaming culture on July 10, 2025, connecting global fans through the power of music on the world’s biggest esports stage.

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced that global music icon Post Malone will headline the Opening Ceremony of the Esports World Cup 2025, taking place on July 10, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Post Malone’s performance will kick-off a seven-week event that brings together gaming, music, and culture, reflecting the EWC’s role advancing gaming as mainstream entertainment for a digital generation.

A 9x diamond-certified global artist and lifelong gamer, Post Malone has deep roots in the esports and gaming community –  streaming Call of Duty: Warzone, PUBG, and Hunt: Showdown on Twitch, and collaborating with developers on in-game events, including a recent crossover with Apex Legends. His exclusive live performance will open EWC 2025, blending chart-topping sound with a celebration of gaming culture on the world’s premier competitive stage.

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“Esports is becoming a global cultural force – where music, storytelling, and competition converge to create moments that are not just seen, but felt,” said Mike McCabe, Chief Operating Officer, of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “With Post Malone, a global artist and true gamer, opening the tournament, we continue to celebrate the power of music – a universal language that brings fans together and defines the cultural future of esports.”

“This year’s Opening Ceremony will deliver a fresh take on the classic story of ambition, resilience and progress, told through the lens of EWC. ” added Ariel Horn, Executive Producer of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “It’s exciting and new. So many game genres converging on one global stage, the music fuels the competitive fire at the heart of this event and this industry, and Post Malone is the perfect voice to carry that passion and celebrate the beginning of an historic event.”

This announcement follows the launch of EWC Music, a long-term initiative to create an original music identity for the Esports World Cup and establish music as a core pillar of the fan cultural experience. The programme began on April 27 with the recording of a four-track music suite at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, featuring original compositions by acclaimed music collectives 2WEI and Hollywood Scoring. Through original scores, global artist collaborations, and fan-focused soundtracks, EWC Music is designed to connect global audiences through a shared emotional language that elevates every moment of the competition – from broadcast to live stages.  Additional artists, performances, and music-driven collaborations will be revealed in the coming weeks as part of the wider EWC Music program.

The Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. The tournament’s unique cross-game format will reward Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool across a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together esports’ best teams, players and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports.

The EWC 2025 will feature 2,000 elite players and 200 Clubs from more than 100 countries, competing in 25 tournaments across 24 games for a record-breaking $70+ million prize pool.

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