Grand prizes, big names: 2nd Esports World Cup starts in Riyadh
2000 elite players from 200 clubs and more than 100 countries are here.
There's a wide-range of competitions being played - from first-person shooter to mobile multiplayer battle games.
Ralf Reichert , Esports World Cup Foundation's CEO told Euronews:
"It's the sheer scale that's unheard of. Esports is just at the start of its tenure and it's there to grow to become one of the biggest sports in the world in the next decades."
Related
Ronaldo, Magnus Carlsen and a $70 million cash pot: Inside the Esports World Cup 2025
For the hosts, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, the president of the Saudi Esports Federation shared his enthusiasm with the assembled media:
"One of the most spectacular things about gaming is your first initiation to someone, your first meeting of someone, is not who they are as a colour, skin, religion, background, race, gender. It is an avatar in the game and therefore their skill."
The Esports World Cup also attracts plenty of star power. Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo is the tournament's official ambassador and American pop star Post Malone headlines the opening ceremony of this giant gaming festival.
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CNET
23 minutes ago
- CNET
The Best Co-op Games to Play With Your Friends
Playing with friends is an essential aspect of gaming, so it's no wonder games like Split Fiction and It Takes Two from Hazelight Studios were recent hits. Some of my best memories are of marathon gaming sessions with friends, either shoulder to shoulder on a couch or logging in online from across the country. Despite how gaming has changed over the years, one thing remains the same -- people love playing games together. So, whether you're looking for a split-screen experience or just want something to hop into for a few hours with your friends, these are some of the best co-op games available right now. Best co-op games right now Best co-op games for two players These games are best experienced with one other person, so grab a friend and get to work. A few in this section, like Split Fiction, It Takes Two and Cuphead, only require one copy of the game, which makes it even easier to play. Hazelight Studios/EA Games A Way Out $30 at Steam $30 at Sony Ever wanted to break out of prison with a partner? So have Vincent and Leo. Set in the 1970s, you'll uncover the protagonists' motivations for needing to escape and why they ended up in the slammer in the first place. Over the course of the game, you'll work together to enact your plan and stay ahead of the law. Number of players: 2 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5 Genre: Action/adventure Co-op style: Split screen or online $30 at Steam $30 at Sony Valve Portal 2 $13 at Amazon Arguably one of the most popular (and most quoted) games of all time, 14 years later, Portal 2's co-op campaign is still worth a playthrough. Armed with portal guns, players take control of robots Atlas and P-Body as they solve puzzles and uncover dark secrets hidden within Aperture Science Laboratories. With legendary voice acting and some of the best game writing that still holds up to this day, Portal 2 is a co-op adventure you shouldn't miss. Number of players: 1-2 Platform: PC Genre: First-person, action/adventure puzzler Co-op style: Online or split screen $13 at Amazon FromSoft Elden Ring Nightreign $55 at Amazon FromSoftware's Elden Ring Nightreign is the studio's first game with a multiplayer focus. You drop in to Limgrave, a well-known location to those who've played Elden Ring, with two other players. And while you can play with two people, the game is really tuned around having a full squad of three players. Nightreign borrows aspects from battle royale games, like an ever-closing circle that forces you to move as you scavange items along the way. There are three levels, or nights, that you progress through as one of eight characters. At the end of each night, you'll fight bosses from across FromSoft's impressive repertoire with the build you've been able to put together, before culminating in a final battle with the Nightlord. It's an interesting spin on one of the best games that has been released in the last decade. Number of players: 1-3 Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5 Genre: Roguelike Co-op style: Online $55 at Amazon Best co-op games for four players These games are better experienced with a crew at your back. Squad up with three friends and get ready to squash alien bugs, hunt monsters or battle waves of demons. Arrowhead Game Studios Helldivers 2 $35 at Amazon $35 at Target Imagine being shot from your spaceship in a bullet-shaped Hellpod, hurtling down through an alien planet's atmosphere and plunging into the hard earth. You pop up, call in your weapons, and make your stand against an army of giant, democracy-destroying bugs, robots or space zombies called illuminates -- with three of your friends by your side. You will undoubtedly die, but that's a sacrifice Super Earth is willing to make. The high-octane, third-person shooter gameplay Helldivers 2 delivers is truly unique. It's hard to beat the rush of calling down massive napalm strikes and giant orbital lasers as your friends provide covering fire against the hordes of enemies threatening to overtake you at any moment. Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S (starting Aug. 26) Genre: Third-person shooter Co-op style: Online $35 at Amazon $35 at Target Klei Entertainment Don't Starve Together $15 at Steam This spooky, hand-drawn title drops you and up to three friends into procedurally generated maps (that means each map is uniquely generated when you start a new game) filled with monsters. You're goal is to survive through the four seasons, each bringing different gameplay elements -- like temperature -- for players to contend with. You can choose from an eclectic character roster, each with their own unique abilities. The game has you scrounging for resources in swamps, deserts and forests, building your base and tools, and fighting off monsters and the weather while doing your best not to starve. If you've ever wondered how you and your friends would fare in a survival situation, this one's for you. Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Xbox Series and S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch Genre: Survival crafting Co-op style: Online or local $15 at Steam Kinetic Games Phasmophobia $20 at Steam Ever wanted to be a ghost hunter? Phasmophobia lets you and up to three friends investigate haunted locales, following clues and dealing with truly terrifying paranormal activity. Your job is to use all the ghost-hunting equipment at your disposal to collect as much evidence as possible and make it out alive. Horror games can be fun alone, but they're a blast to play with friends. Try it in VR for a horrifyingly immersive experience. Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Xbox Series and S, PlayStation 5, VR Genre: First-person horror Co-op style: Online $20 at Steam Anegar Games Chained Together $5 at Steam Do you and your buddies have the communication skills needed to break out of hell? Now's your chance to test your theory. The only hitch is that all four of you are chained together and must synchronize your movements to climb higher and higher through challenging obstacles. One wrong move and you'll plummet back to the start. While you can play with up to four people, you can also do it with just one other person. Number of players: 2-4 Platform: PC Genre: Platformer Co-op style: Online $5 at Steam Best single-player games with co-op These games are primarily single-player adventures, but they do support bringing along a friend or three. Whether you're passing the controller back and forth or dropping in and out, try these games solo or with friends. Larian Studios Baldur's Gate 3 $60 at Steam $70 at Sony Arguably one of the best RPGs ever made, with incredible emphasis on player choice. If you've ever wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons but could never find a Dungeon Master to run a campaign for you, Baldur's Gate 3 can fill that void. And with drop-in, drop-out co-op with up to four people, you can start a campaign alone and finish it with friends or vice versa. It's one of the best games made in recent years and certainly worth your time if you like fantasy RPGs. Patch 8 -- the game's final content patch -- was released in April, which added 12 new subclasses to the game, so it's a great time to jump back in or pick it up for the first time. Players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5 Genre: Turn-based strategy RPG Co-op style: Online $60 at Steam $70 at Sony 343 Industries/Splash Damage/Ruffian Games/Bungie/Saber Interactive/Xbox Game Studios Halo: Master Chief Collection $55 at Amazon Staying up way too late and playing Halo: Combat Evolved with friends might be my first co-op game memory. Whether you're tearing through the campaign or playing online, the Master Chief collection can give you the co-op hit you're looking for. It contains six Halo games, more than enough to keep you and your friends entertained for a while. Snipers and swords, anyone? Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC and Xbox Series X and S. (Available on GamePass.) Genre: First-person shooter Co-op style: Online or split screen $55 at Amazon Iron Gate AB/Coffee Stain Publishing Valheim $20 at Steam A Norse-inspired survival crafting game of the highest tier. Face off against monsters and collect resources to build weapons, bases and armor to surpass increasingly difficult biomes and bosses. And you don't have to go it alone, you can bring up to 10 friends in a lobby. It offers some of the best crafting, survival gameplay I've experienced, and building a whole settlement with friends is a blast. Number of players: 1-10 Platform: PC, Mac, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S Genre: Survival crafting Co-op style: Online $20 at Steam Ballistic Moon/PlayStation Publishing LLC Until Dawn Remastered $40 at Amazon $48 at Best Buy While not technically a co-op game, it's a single-player experience that's just as fun with your friends. If you've ever watched a horror movie and thought, I wouldn't make that choice, this game is your chance to prove it. It's a different style of game than others on the list; you'll essentially take part in scenes in a movie, making split-second decisions and participating in quick-time events. It was recently remastered for current-generation consoles, making it a good time to pick this one up if you didn't when it was initially released. It's also been made into a movie, though it only shares a name -- the story is entirely different. Number of players: 1 Platform: PC, PlayStation 5 Genre: Horror Co-op style: Pass the controller $40 at Amazon $48 at Best Buy Best free co-op games You don't always have to shell out to play with friends. Here are a few free options. Mediatonic Limited/Epic Games Fall Guys See at Fall Guys A wacky game that has you and your friends take control of clumsy, cartoonish characters. The goal is to avoid being knocked off of zany obstacle courses. That's really all there is to it. It's fun with friends and free to play, so it's worth a shot if you're looking for something to get into together. Number of players: 1-60 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch Genre: Battle royale, Platformer Co-op style: Online See at Fall Guys Total Mayhem Games We Were Here See at Steam This game puts you and a friend in control of an explorer and a librarian lost in a castle. Your task is to solve the puzzles you encounter. You'll be separated from each other, so use your walkie-talkies to work together to solve the problems you encounter. You'll need to describe the solutions over voice chat to one another, which can lead to some funny situations. This one is free, so give it a shot. There are two other We Were Here titles, but you'll have to pay for those. Number of players: 2 Platform: PC, Mac, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch Genre: First-person puzzle solver Co-op style: Online See at Steam Digital Extremes Warframe See at Steam Warframe is a long-running, third-person action game. You take control of a Warframe -- a bio-mechanical suit of armor -- which offers various combat functions and roles like your tank, damage or support class. There are over 100 warframes to choose from, each with its own unique abilities. The game was released in 2013 and has received numerous content and gameplay updates. While free to play, an in-game cash shop offers both gameplay advancements and cosmetics. Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5 Genre: Third-person shooter Co-op style: Online See at Steam
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Euro 2025: Spain On Track? Watch Out For France? What Stood Out and What's Next
Surprise results, record crowds, and the pivotal matches on the horizon. The 2025 UEFA Women's Euros has already seen plenty of big moments. With the group stage wrapped up, all eyes will be on the quarterfinal matches – which begin on Thursday and go through the looking ahead, let's recap what stood out from the group stage. One title contender, the Netherlands, was eliminated after lopsided losses to both England and France. There was some heartbreak with Germany captain Giulia Gwinn suffering an early knee injury that will keep her out for the rest of the tournament. And some history, with a record 600,000 tickets already sold despite the heat wave that's taken over Switzerland. There's more excitement to come, but here's what stood out from the group stage and what we're looking forward to in the next round: Can Anyone Stop Spain From Silverware? The biggest news entering the Euros was that Spain star and reigning Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí was hospitalized with meningitis less than a week before the tournament began. She recovered quickly, and was able to come on as a substitute in La Roja's first two matches before starting and playing a full 90 minutes in the team's third group stage match against Italy. Whether Bonmatí would have needed more recovery time or not, it's clear that Spain is a machine to be reckoned with and still looks like the favorite to win it all. Alexia Putellas has been dominant with three goals so far, as has Esther Gonzalez, the NWSL's leading scorer who also leads all Euros scorers with four goals. As a whole, the team has been particularly effective in possession and in combination play. And once Bonmatí regains her full strength and starts scoring goals of her own, La Roja will be even more potent. A 2023 World Cup final rematch with England is certainly in the cards, though Spain have to get past Switzerland in the quarterfinal and then either France or Germany in the semi before thinking about that potential headline-grabbing matchup. New-look France Emerges From 'Groupe de la Mort' France finished atop a difficult Group D after a decisive 5-2 win over the Netherlands on Sunday. Les Bleues won all three of their games – against England, Wales and the Netherlands – and will play Germany in the quarterfinal on Saturday. There were questions surrounding this squad before the tournament began when manager Laurent Bonadei shocked the footballing world when he left captain Wendie Renard, Eugenie Le Sommer and Kenza Dali off the team. Together, the trio of well-known veterans have 444 caps and are synonymous with France's national team. But this is a program that has never won a major international tournament before, and Bonadei wanted to try something new. While the decision likely still stings, France looks like a team that can challenge for a trophy. Especially given Germany hasn't looked particularly dangerous and is coming off a 4-1 loss to Sweden. Swiss Surprise? Hosts Aiming To Make More Noise Switzerland was nearly ousted from the tournament until substitute Riola Xhemaili scored in stoppage time to draw Finland 1-1 in its final group stage match, which was enough to send the hosts through to the next round. The Swiss only needed a tie to advance, but trailed 1-0 following a 79th-minute penalty by Finland, creating some nervy final moments. The host's reward? A quarterfinal against Spain on Friday. The reigning world champs have scored 14 goals in three games, 12 of which have been from inside the box. Switzerland, meanwhile, has only found the back of the net four times. An inability to find the back of the net won't cut it against Spain's clinical attack. So how will veteran coach Pia Sundhage prepare for Spain? If it's anything like the last match, she'll utilize the youth on her roster which consists of 19-year-old Leila Wandeler (Lyon) and 18-year-olds Sydney Schertenleib (Barcelona) and Iman Beney (Manchester City). Schertenleib at least knows her opponent well, playing alongside the majority of them at club level. Regardless of what the end result will be, one thing is for sure: the environment for this matchup will be epic given how fans have shown up en masse all tournament. What To Expect In Quarterfinals The most anticipated quarterfinal match has to be England vs. Sweden. Both nations are playing at a high level right now – the Swedes just shocked Germany 4-1 in their final group stage match while the Lionesses are doing everything possible to win back-to-back Euros. These teams met in the semifinals at the 2022 Euros and England won 4-0. But this should be a closer game, as Sweden has been a much improved team since then. Sweden poses a physical, imposing threat and thrives on set pieces, while England has a deeper squad and are battle-tested coming out of a more challenging group. Elsewhere, Germany and France offer a showdown between two European powers, while Switzerland will try to stay alive against a heavily-favored and more proficient Spain. Norway vs. Italy is probably the least thrilling on paper, but it's a chance to watch stars Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen book a spot in the semifinals. Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
Oman hires Carlos Queiroz as coach in push for World Cup qualification
MUSCAT, Oman — Oman hired Carlos Queiroz as its national-team coach Tuesday ahead of autumn games that will determine if the country advances to the World Cup for the first time. The veteran Portuguese tactician led Iran into the 2014 and 2018 World Cups and will take over with immediate effect.
