(Smilegate)
(Smilegate)

Korean game developer Smilegate said Tuesday that its popular shooting game "Crossfire" will be joining the 2025 Esports World Cup, one of the world's largest esports competitions, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next year.

According to the announcement, Smilegate signed a three-year partnership contract with the Esports World Cup Foundation, the operator of the competition, to feature Crossfire as one of the esports played during the competition.

“Crossfire has built an incredible legacy as one of the most beloved games in China, Asia-Pacific and many other countries across the world, and continues to grow its passionate fanbase. We’re excited to welcome its global community and build on the strong foundation Crossfire has established,” said Esports World Cup Foundation's Chief Games Officer Fabian Scheuermann.

Smilegate Entertainment CEO Jang Ina, who led the game into a global success, also expressed high expectations, saying, "Crossfire's selection for EWC 2025 will be a groundbreaking event for its fans around the world."

“We expect the EWC will offer us a stage to show the spirit of passion and resilience of Crossfire esports to more people, thereby bolstering our presence in the world. We will jointly make efforts to provide the best experiences to Crossfire players, fans and our business partners.”

Crossfire, launched in 2007, now boasts about 1.1 billion users from 80 countries. This year, its own tournament CrossFire Stars, which marks its 11th anniversary, attracted 16 teams from around the world.


forestjs@heraldcorp.com