World Cyber Games, the return of an esports classic to prove that esports is not dead

In this year so complicated for esports, where we are seeing layoffs and companies closing day after day, there is a fact that fills us with illusion and is a reminder that we are still an important entertainment industry and that this is not going to stop.

This year, amidst all the chaos, we have great news, the return of the World Cyber Games (WCG)a classic of esports competitions is back. After a three-year hiatus, the prestigious series of competitions is back, this time under the direction of South Korean company Bigpicture Interactive Co.

WCG, was one of the first globally recognized multi-game e-sports competitions, holding regular face-to-face events from the early 2000s through 2019.. The goal was to unite eSports fans from around the world.

After the 2020 edition, which was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the series took a temporary break.

Bigpicture Interactive, the new owner of WCG, was founded by CEO Kwangjun Song in 2015 with the mission to “make gamers’ lives happier.“. Since then, the company has launched several services, including GameCoach Academy, the first school for professional gamers, and e-sports tournament platform LVUP.GG. Bigpicture Interactive also took over the KPOP content company MSTORM in 2019 and the e-sports data company PLAYXP in 2021.

The company’s expansion into the gaming and e-sports sector has been aggressive, and its current portfolio includes performance company and gaming search platform DAK.GG. In 2023, Bigpicture Interactive also ventured into the Internet Cafe (PC Bang) industry.

They are currently hosting live e-sports tournaments with game publishers such as Riot Games, Nexon, Krafton, Smilegate and Supercell. The new WCG umbrella aims to provide a competition capable of continuously offering new content and entertainment for all players, online and in-person.

And boy, is it back with a vengeance. In 2023, WCG has already held a five-month open tournament, from January to June, for all users. Interestingly, Clash Royale and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, two mobile esports titles, were chosen as the main events of the tournament. According to WCG, 5,604 players from 58 different nations participated in the three games, ranging from teams making their professional e-sports debuts to casual players.

WCG’s return to the global e-sports sector after four years is not the series’ only ambition. Bigpicture Interactive has revealed that it has considered many plans to help e-sports brands understand how they can capture the hearts of today’s gamersjust as WCG did in 2000 with the previous generation.

From the permanent WCG tournament to WCG Rivals, WCG Valorant Challengers League and WCG 2023 BUSAN, the new World Cyber Games aim to become a platform-friendly tournament series, regardless of face-to-face or digital form.