IESF World Esports Championships Returns with Record Number 120 Countries

The national qualifiers for IESF’s flagship event in 2023 already started

The International Esports Federation (IESF) today announced a record number of 120 countries will compete in the national qualifiers round of the 2023 World Esports
Championships, with Iași, Romania, set to host the Finals in September.

With 120 nations, the 15th WE Championships will be the largest edition of IESF’s flagship event, topping the 2022 WE Championships in Bali, Indonesia, which featured over 600 athletes from 106 countries. Bali officially handed over hosting rights to Iași during a special handover at the event’s Closing Ceremony, which also crowned Indonesia as the World Esports champion.

Iași is Romania’s historical capital and most youthful city. It is the country’s second-largest city and home to multiple well-known universities and will provide a fresh take on the WE Championships while engaging a new generation of esports fans. This will mark the second time the WE Championships will be staged in Romania after the country’s capital Bucharest hosted in 2013.

IESF President Vlad Marinescu said:

Iași’s youthful energy and rich history will ensure yet another unforgettable edition of the World Esports Championships. Last year’s event in Bali reflects our progress in promoting esports and empowering the World Esports Family. The 2023 WE Championships will be our biggest edition yet, with 120 countries ready to compete and showcase esports’ ability to break barriers and unite us.

Vlad Marinescu

The first round of the WE Championships, the national qualifiers, has already started worldwide, to be followed by the regional qualifiers starting in May and the Finals in September.

About the International Esports Federation

IESF is the uniting body for World Esports. Founded in 2008 by nine-member nations, IESF is currently composed of 130 Member Federations across five continents. IESF brings together all esports stakeholders to achieve a united ecosystem for the development of sustainable and responsible gaming worldwide. The IESF WE Championships is the biggest multi-sport spectacle of esports in the world. IESF also organizes the annual World Esports Summit in order to support the highest standard of esports governance worldwide.