Martial arts battle royale Naraka: Bladepoint joins the Esports World Cup Festival 2025 in Riyadh with a $500,000 Mid-Season Championship. Discover all the key details, dates, and community impact.
Naraka: Bladepoint, the martial arts-inspired battle royale developed by 24 Entertainment and published by NetEase Games, is officially joining the 2025 Esports World Cup Festival (EWCF) as the first game announced for its new tournament program. The title will host its Mid-Season Championship at the gaming and lifestyle festival, which runs alongside the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24.
The Naraka: Bladepoint Mid-Season Championship will feature two major competitions: a Solo Finals on August 22 with a prize pool of $150,000, and a Trios Finals on August 23 with a more substantial $350,000 prize pool. Altogether, players will compete for a total of $500,000 in prize money.
This announcement marks a major step in Naraka: Bladepoint’s ongoing global esports strategy. Since the game’s launch in 2021, it has carved out a significant competitive scene, particularly in China, where the annual J Cup tournament has distributed over $1.5 million in prizes each year. The inclusion in the EWC Festival signals the game’s ambition to expand its reach and showcase Chinese wuxia-inspired action combat to a global audience.
Ray Kuan, Producer of Naraka: Bladepoint, emphasized the strategic value of the move: “By bringing the Naraka: Bladepoint Mid-Season Cup to the Esports World Cup Festival, the global esports strategy of 24 Entertainment and NetEase Games is taking a pivotal step. By leveraging the global influence of EWC’s Festival, we continue to prove our commitment to delivering a premier competitive experience for players everywhere.”
Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer of the Esports World Cup Foundation, echoed the enthusiasm: “We are thrilled to welcome Naraka: Bladepoint to the Esports World Cup 2025 as the first title in our new EWC Festival tournament program. Naraka pioneered the melee battle royale genre, blending martial arts elegance with competitive intensity. We’re proud to give it a home on the world’s biggest gaming festival stage.”
The Esports World Cup Festival is a broader cultural event celebrating gaming, esports, and entertainment. Hosted in Riyadh’s Boulevard City, it features not only esports tournaments but also live music, cosplay, anime cafés, creator studios, retro arcades, and more.
While Naraka: Bladepoint will not be part of the main Esports World Cup lineup, its inclusion in the festival reflects a commitment to broadening the types of competitive games featured and supporting unique titles with growing esports ecosystems.
The Esports World Cup Foundation is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has drawn criticism for its human rights record and accusations of “sportswashing.” Despite this, the EWC Festival continues to draw global attention and participation from major gaming organizations and publishers.
With a growing international fanbase and a strong showing in competitive scenes, Naraka: Bladepoint’s presence at the EWC Festival 2025 represents both an esports milestone and a global stage for martial arts-themed gameplay to shine.
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