Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has announced the full programme for the New Global Sport Conference 2025 (NGSC 2025), taking place on 23–24 August in Riyadh.

Held during the Closing Weekend of the Esports World Cup 2025, the world’s largest esports and gaming event, the conference will feature two days of keynotes, panels, fireside chats and masterclasses. More than 1,500 delegates — including representatives from 25 major game publishers, over 50 elite esports clubs, and industry leaders across sports, technology, and media — will gather to define The Next Game, this year's theme.

The NGSC 2025 Hero Stage will open with Saudi Arabia’s leadership setting the agenda in The Kingdom’s Next Era of Play, where HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, H.E. Ahmed Al Khateeb, H.E. Eng. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, and H.E. Abdullah Al-Swaha will outline Saudi Arabia’s vision for the future of gaming and esports. 

Hans Jagnow, Director, NGSC 2025, said: “NGSC 2025 has become the most influential gathering for gaming, esports, sport, technology and investment. What makes it stand out is the scale and diversity of voices and ideas. When leaders from across these worlds come together, they shape the future of our industries, and we look forward to the ideas, commitments and collaborations that will emerge here in Riyadh.”

Global industry figures will then take to the spotlight for a series of in-depth talks:

Gaming Through Time: Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot reflects on the company’s legacy, bringing the worlds of Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six, and Far Cry to life, and the exciting future ahead.

IP Strategies Unlocked: Twitch CEO Dan Clancy is joined by Sega COO Shuji Utsumi and Roblox VP of Product Economy Enrico D’Angelo to discuss how creative strategies help to evolve intellectual property.

Powering the Ecosystem: EA’s Monica Dinsmore takes to the stage with Krafton’s Minho Yi, Tencent’s Mars Hou, Ubisoft’s Francois-Xavier Deniele and Esports World Cup Foundation’s Fabian Scheuermann to explore how leading publishers can look to align game design with a competitive balance, and strengthen the esports ecosystem.

Blurring the Lines: Between Games and Cinema: World renowned game creator Hideo Kojima is joined by filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn to delve into how cinema and games are shaping the future of storytelling.

The discussions extend far beyond gaming and esports, looking at how the world of sports can provide new avenues for exciting collaborations:

Nations Level Up: Casey Wasserman, Chairman of LA28 Olympic Games, joins two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Alex Morgan to explore how national pride and global sport are shaping competition.

Winning as a Habit: World Chess Champion and Esports World Cup 2025 winner Magnus Carlsen, Team Liquid Co-CEO Victor Goossens and entrepreneur Steven Bartlett discuss the links across chess, esports and entrepreneurship, and how esports connects with other forms of competition.

Football’s Next Chapter by AWS: Leaders from the Saudi Pro League, Al Qadsiah, G2 Esports and AWS look at how AI, gaming and esports are expanding the global game.

NGSC 2025 will also look at how growth and investment will shape the global gaming, esports, and sports industries in the years to come:

Navigating Capital, Growth and Strategy in Saudi Arabia and Beyond and Powering the Kingdom’s Ecosystem: HRH Prince Fahad bin Mansour bin Nasser Al Saud will lead two Foundry masterclasses, providing insight into scaling deals, investor–founder alignment and Saudi Arabia’s integrated support system for gaming and sports.

Content for the Next Generation: Amazon’s Steve Boom joins Sony’s Toshimoto Mitomo to explore how platforms, formats and fan engagement are reshaping entertainment.

Rules Rewritten: Peter Moore and Ralf Reichert examine how traditional sport and esports are building a new playbook together, and how the two will shape the next era of competitive entertainment.

NGSC 2025 takes place on 23–24 August at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh. To learn more about the New Global Sport Conference and the Esports World Cup, visit newglobalsportconference.com and esportsworldcup.com, and follow the New Global Sport Conference and the Esports World Cup Foundation on LinkedIn.

About the New Global Sport Conference

The New Global Sport Conference (NGSC2025) is the flagship event of the Esports World Cup Foundation, serving as the premier global forum where gaming, esports, and sport converge. Held annually in Riyadh during the final weekend of the Esports World Cup, the event unites CEOs, investors, and industry pioneers to drive transformative global initiatives and foster collaboration on the growth and future of these dynamic industries. newglobalsportconference.com

About The Esports World Cup

The Esports World Cup (EWC) is a premier annual sporting event and global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. The competition features a unique cross-game format that pits the world's top esports Clubs against one another for the largest prize pool in esports history. Hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the summer of 2025, the EWC brings gaming and esports communities together again to crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. esportsworldcup.com