New Global Sport Conference 2025 opens with a landmark day of industry-defining announcements, keynotes, panels and masterclasses

The world’s largest esports conference brings gaming, esports and sport to the global stage

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (23 August 2025) – The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) today opened the New Global Sport Conference 2025 (NGSC 2025), a two-day industry forum bringing together over 1,500 delegates and 500 CEOs from gaming, esports, sport, technology and investment to define The Next Game. Held during the Closing Weekend of the Esports World Cup 2025, the conference features keynotes, panels, fireside chats and masterclasses, uniting global leaders to explore the future of competition and entertainment.

The opening session, The Kingdom’s Next Era of Play, saw Saudi Arabia’s most senior leaders outline their vision for the future of gaming and esports. Speaking on stage were HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal, Minister of Sports, HRH Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Sultan Al Saud, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism; H.E. Eng. Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, Minister of Investment; and H.E. Abdullah Al-Swaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology.

The global spotlight then shifted to international industry leaders, with Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot announcing a landmark partnership with AlUla, the UNESCO World Heritage site in Saudi Arabia, which will feature as free playable content in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Guillemot described the project as a way to bring Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage to life for players around the world, adding that “a good story, a good experience, and when you play on a site that is unexpected, is something I’m sure players will love.”

The conference introduced the Esports Nations Cup (ENC), launching in November 2026 as a new flagship tournament within the EWCF portfolio that will see national teams competing. Senior publishing executives including Francois-Xavier Deniele, Vice President, Global Esports & Marketing Competitive Gaming, Ubisoft; Minho Yi, VP, Krafton; Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer, Esports World Cup Foundation; and Mars Hou, VP of Tencent Games, and Monica Dinsmore, Head of Esports, EA discussed how national representation will reshape competition and fandom.

“We have built all together, and separately for our games, a very deep and clear ecosystem around our games. But there is something different with nations, which is something we can feel in Europe, in the West, in the world, but also in Asia more and more, this sentiment of being proud of your country,” said Francois-Xavier Deniele.

Monica Dinsmore added: “The Esports World Cup and now the ENC has provided a platform where publishers are coming together to create something in the interest of growing the industry together. We’ve come through so much as an esports industry, and I’m very excited to be able to build something really incredible together.”

The spirit of national pride and cross-industry exchange was echoed in a panel featuring EWCF CEO Ralf Reichert, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Alex Morgan and LA28 Olympic Games Chairman Casey Wasserman. Moderated by Pete Radovich of CBS Sports, the discussion explored how esports can harness national pride to shape the future of global competition while supporting its players from the start.

“We strongly believe that to tell these stories, players need more opportunity,” said Ralf Reichert. “They need more great stages, they need more moments where they can become heroes. And we just need to support and help through those stages and amplify the coverage.”

Alex Morgan underlined the need for an athlete-first approach, drawing parallels with the growth of women’s sport. For Casey Wasserman, mirroring events like the Olympic Games when it comes to inclusivity, is what will serve large-scale, global esports events in a way that fosters growth: “a structured competition around a broad set of games with a very inclusive environment is a really powerful piece of the puzzle and I think that will continue to grow.”

New this year, NGSC 2025 attendees can join the re-invented The Foundry stage, a booked-out platform featuring masterclasses on investment in gaming and sports, alongside start-up pitches. The programme also introduces live broadcasts of industry experts in the all-new NGSC Studio, opening the conference to a global audience.

NGSC 2025 continues tomorrow (24 August, 2025) with further keynotes, masterclasses and panels exploring the future of gaming, sport and entertainment.