Esports Organisations Expanding into Chess for the 2025 Esports World Cup

The world of esports is expanding into the realm of chess, with several top esports organizations signing the world’s best players to compete in the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC).

French organization Team Vitality made a splash by signing Grandmaster Maxime ‘MVL’ Vachier-Lagrave, while Wolves Esports signed China’s youngest Grandmaster Yu Yangyi. Ukrainian powerhouse NAVI added three players to its roster, including sixth-ranked Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Wesley So.

Saudi Arabian Team Falcons signed Hikaru Nakamura, currently ranked second in the world, and later added Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja to their roster. Leo Team from Ukraine signed Grandmaster Anton Korobov, while Chinese organization LGD Gaming signed former World Champion Ding Liren. Weibo Gaming added world number seven Wei Yi to their lineup, and All Gamers signed Rapid Chess World Champion Volodar Murzin.

North American organizations Team Liquid and Gen.G also entered the chess scene, with Team Liquid signing Fabiano Caruana and world number one Magnus Carlsen, and Gen.G signing Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi.

With top players from around the world joining these esports organizations, the competition at the EWC is sure to be intense. Stay tuned to see who will come out on top in this exciting new chapter of esports.