With the Esports World Cup 2025 raging on, I got the opportunity to chat with Ralf Reichert, CEO of EWC. The conversation spanned several topics, from the involvement of global sports icons in esports and EWC to the controversy around "sportswashing" that hangs like a spectre upon every iteration of the annual event.Check out the full conversation below.EWC CEO discusses global icons' participation in the event, the future, and moreQ. The Esports World Cup has been able to attract iconic names from the world of football. Be it Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Ronaldo Nazario, or Kaka, it’s been a delight to see these legends of their sport get associated with the scene. What do you think is attracting physical sportspersons to the digital esports/gaming scene? What would you say is their impact on the global esports scene?Reichert: The connection between traditional sport and esports is natural. At their core, both are about competition, passion, and inspiring global fandom. Icons like Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar see esports as part of the same cultural fabric they’ve lived their entire careers in. It’s not a niche, it’s a new arena of global sport.What draws them in is the intensity, the global stage, and the massive, passionate audiences that mirror what they know from football. Their presence adds credibility, helps new audiences discover esports, and amplifies cultural reach, accelerating the sport’s growth far beyond the screen.Q. With the Esports World Cup completing its second chapter in 2025, how has the journey been for those organising the event? Any surprises or interesting tidbits that you would like to share? Any major changes or complaints that you look to address next year?Reichert: The journey has been extraordinary. In 2024, our task was to prove the concept that a cross-game, club-based World Cup could fill arenas, attract half a billion viewers, and create a global cultural moment.In 2025, we’ve moved from proving to scaling. We added new games like Valorant and Chess, refined the Club Championship, launched fantasy engagement tools, introduced EWC Spotlight for mainstream broadcast, built the EWC Embassy as a true hospitality hub, and expanded Boulevard City into a global gaming capital.The biggest surprise? The appetite is even greater than we expected, especially here in the Kingdom. Nearly every benchmark from last year has already been surpassed, showing that we are only scratching the surface of what’s possible.Q. With the introduction of Chess and the participation of some of the biggest names in the sport currently, how do you think the game’s debut at EWC went? Can you share the thought process of adding Chess to the mix and how the reception has been now that the competition has concluded?Reichert: Chess was a bold but important addition. It’s a 1,500-year-old game that has reinvented itself digitally, with hundreds of millions of players online and one of the most dynamic streaming communities.It fit perfectly into the World Cup because it bridges old and new: strategic depth that resonates with esports fans, and accessibility that transcends borders, languages, and generations. Having Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, and other top players join through esports clubs gave it instant legitimacy.The reception exceeded our expectations. Viewership put it on par with major grandmaster events, proving chess belongs on the same stage as Counter-Strike, League of Legends, or Valorant. It validates the core idea of the Esports World Cup: to be the home for the world’s best competitive games, regardless of genre.Q. What would you say has been the impact of the Esports World Cup (across its two chapters) on the world of esports, along with the players, fans, and the future of the scene?Reichert: In just two years, the Esports World Cup has become the anchor event on the global esports calendar. It has raised the bar across every dimension: participation, viewership, prize pools, and created more sustainable opportunities for clubs and players. Our Club Partner Program, in particular, helps organizations grow across multiple titles and regions.For fans, the EWC has become more than a tournament; it’s a festival that blends competition, entertainment, music, and storytelling, making esports a cultural event on par with other global spectacles. The impact is clear: esports is no longer seen as entertainment alone, but as a global sport. And the EWC is the tentpole event that drives innovation and sets the standard for what esports can be.Q. The Esports World Cup controversy surrounding the host country has been there for some time now, including accusations of “sportswashing”. How does the org address that? Do you think such controversy impedes EWC’s goal of being the premier event in the esports calendar year?Reichert: We recognize these questions are part of the broader conversation, but our focus remains clear: building the best event for players, clubs, fans, and partners, while contributing to a region undergoing rapid transformation.Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in gaming and esports, creating infrastructure, jobs, and opportunities for a young, connected population. The reality is that players and fans who come here experience a safe, world-class event and leave with positive impressions.Sport and esports can serve as a powerful driver of cultural exchange and progress. That’s exactly what we see happening here, and it’s the story we want to keep building.