Esports World Cup ends with surprise win for China-based team
AG.AL claim the overall title and $7m (£5.1m) top prize at the third Esports World Cup in Paris.
The Esports World Cup concluded in Paris with a surprising triumph for the Chinese-based team AG.AL. They secured the grand prize of $7m (£5.1m) and the championship trophy after a seven-week tournament. The event, originally scheduled for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was hastily relocated to France due to safety concerns arising from the US-Iran conflict in the Middle East.
Despite criticism from some fans over Saudi Arabia's participation, the Esports Foundation, the event's organizers, reported increased viewership this year. Cristiano Ronaldo, alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and French President Emmanuel Macron, attended the closing ceremony to present the trophy to AG.AL's management.
The team's victory was largely attributed to French player Gwendal "Gwen" Duparc, who achieved a significant win in the Trackmania racing game, surpassing the reigning champions, the Saudi Arabia-based Team Falcons. Other notable winners included 15-year-old Chilean player Jaime "Craime" Bustos, who claimed the title of youngest-ever EWC champion in the Street Fighter 6 tournament, and chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, who secured his second title.
Rocket League pro Samy "dralii" Hajji claimed his third consecutive EWC victory. While the event continues to face criticism due to Saudi Arabia's involvement, it remains popular, attracting 2,000 players from 100 countries and garnering 850 million viewers across the tournament.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
