GeoGuessr World Cup gets $100.000 total prize pool

12 February 2024

Often when we talk and write about international esports, it’s about some of the most popular games in the world right now, like League of Legends or Fortnite, for example. The world of esports and gaming is one that is constantly growing and evolving though, and new games are attracting attention all the time. Some of these titles are hits straight away, but many games need some time to build a following before conquering their spot in the spotlight.

One game that fits both categories is GeoGuessr, the incredibly simple real-world location guessing game that was first launched back in 2013. At the time, the game became an instant hit and it has steadily grown its numbers since then. Now, almost ten years after the initial launch, players are getting ready for an official 2024 GeoGuessr World Cup with a total prize pool worth no less than $ 100.000.

Simple yet addictive

Especially when compared to international esports hits like LoL and Dota 2, GeoGuessr features an extremely simple basic premise. The game evolves around players pinpointing real-life locations on a map based on a Google Street View shot. In order to do so, players typically rely on elements like landmarks, road signs, and flora and fauna to assess their location, but it can go as far as analyzing cloud formations, soil types, and much more. The closer a player comes to guessing his or her exact location, the more points he or she scores.

Or, in the words of GeoGuessr themselves, “GeoGuessr is a geography game, in which you are dropped somewhere in the world in a street view panorama and your mission is to find clues and guess your location on the world map […] Get dropped anywhere from the busy streets of New York to the beautiful beaches of Bali. Join 50 million players now!”

2024 GeoGuessr World Cup

As mentioned earlier, the considerable popularity of the game has led to the creation of an official 2024 GeoGuessr World Cup. As we speak, the Americas Qualifiers are on the way, and they will be followed by the Europe Qualifiers in March and April, and then the Asia Qualifiers in May and June of this year. All of the qualifying matches are played online, while the final of each qualifier region is played at a GeoGuessr Studio. A total of $ 50.000 in prize money has been reserved for the qualifying stages: $ 21.200 for Europe, and $ 14.400 each for Americas and Asia.

The biggest event of all will take place in September though, when the Play-Offs are followed by the Grand Final. Play-Offs will take place from September 11th to September 13th at a GeoGuessr Studio, while the Grand Final is set for Saturday, September 14th 2024. A location for the Grand Final has not been revealed yet, but we do know that another $ 50.000 in prize money has been determined for the final stage of the 2024 GeoGuessr World Cup.