Credit: @ewc_en on Instagram
The Esports World Cup (EWC) is one of the most prestigious annual international competitions in elite video gaming. At the start of March, reports revealed that this year’s events will be held in Riyadh, with a prize pool that will likely exceed $60 million.
Set to begin this summer, the upcoming EWC is only the second edition and will host multiple tournaments across 25 games.
While the game lineup has yet to be fully finalized, the majority of titles involved have already been announced. Curiously, many fans have noticed that StarCraft II has not been named. This is despite the fact that it was part of the multi-title EWC in 2024. A highly successful event, it brought in over 500 million viewers and 2.6 million live attendees.
StarCraft’s esports background
Blizzard initially released the StarCraft franchise in 1998. A military science fiction saga, StarCraft is one of the most well-known real-time strategy (RTS) games. In particular, StarCraft’s RTS gameplay is considered the most celebrated of its kind in esports.
Because it requires players to assess, strategize, build, and respond simultaneously, it has made for a greatly dynamic esports experience. To date, both the first and second installments of StarCraft have been involved in some of the most notable esports events.
For instance, StarCraft II was part of the Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2017, which is among the top five largest live esports events. At its peak, it drew in around 46 million unique viewers. Similarly, during the 2024 EWC, StarCraft II was among the most popular events, earning a grand cash prize of $1 million.
Credit: @playstarcraft2 on Instagram
With this in mind, does StarCraft II deserve a spot in the EWC? Here are three reasons why it does.
Established sports betting landscape
The American esports betting industry is one of the most lucrative today, with overall revenue estimated to hit $857 million this year alone. Statista notes that a critical growth factor behind this is the fact it still has high public engagement.
As it happens, the StarCraft betting scene boasts an already established landscape. The pioneering crypto betting site Thunderpick highlights that StarCraft’s gameplay ensures only thrilling high-level players, who frequently compete in global esports tournaments.
As a result, this allows bettors to participate in engaging betting markets across upcoming and live matches.
Betting on StarCraft II also offers patrons the benefit of special perks, like StarCraft II betting cashbacks. Furthermore, since people can now place their StarCraft wagers using digital tokens, such as Bitcoin, it further endears the game to the new breed of crypto bettors.
Overall, this has helped fuel the aforementioned esports engagement. This could be similarly beneficial to the EWC, as it could be a catalyst to getting more eyes on The Esports World Cup.
New game in development
After years of anticipation, the speculation surrounding a new StarCraft installment may finally be coming to an end. Since the second title’s launch in 2010, most updates have only been community changes to the two existing games.
Although these reports are not from Blizzard, keen-eyed journalists have discovered clues that indicate something is in the works. Specifically, online sleuths note that one Blizzard developer has hinted at a new game on their LinkedIn, while Blizzard has posted a new StarCraft game rating on the ESRB website.
The EWC could capitalize on this buzz should they include StarCraft II in their lineup, considering that these rumors will surely have fans hungry for more content.
Strong demand for merch
Expanding a gaming title through new merchandise is an effective way to safeguard its longevity and relevance. In many cases, a successful merch drop even introduces new players to a game, thereby helping sustain its audience.
Gaming merchandise, which can include anything from apparel to alternative gaming options, is expected to continue being an impactful aspect of video games, with overall market valuations poised to grow by over 20% until 2037.
Fortunately, StarCraft merch is among the most steadily produced and hotly received. Recently, game publisher Archon Studio announced that it would be releasing a miniatures game in 2026. Although actual mechanics have not been shared yet, this release will hinge on the same tactical tenets that have long made StarCraft a hit.
More importantly, this new game is expected to help bring another surge of public support. This reignited attention can easily be funneled toward the EWC, especially since consumers who are anticipating the miniatures game may be interested in seeing StarCraft played at a world-class level, whether as a refresher or as a complete introduction to the franchise.