2025 Geoguessr World Championship Kicks Off with Record Participation
Geoguessr World Championship in Copenhagen highlights the game's rising popularity with 100 million players.
- • Geoguessr has 100 million players globally.
- • World Championship features a $100,000 prize pool.
- • CEO Daniel Antell cites geography's appeal as a key factor.
- • Game is transitioning into the e-sports domain.
Key details
The 2025 Geoguessr World Championship is set to take place this weekend in Copenhagen, showcasing the growing popularity of the geography-based game which has attracted a staggering 100 million players globally. With a prize pool of $100,000, this year's competition features top players including Swedish contestant Hugo Holmryd Malmborg.
Daniel Antell, CEO of Geoguessr, attributes much of the game’s success to the public's inherent interest in geography and the recognition factor that comes with it. He remarked, "I believe there is a recognition factor. Geography is also a fundamental interest for many people." Geoguessr challenges participants to guess their locations based on random views from Google Street View, an engaging format that continues to captivate audiences.
Founded as a hobby in 2013 by computer science students, Geoguessr transformed into a company in 2019, adopting a subscription model to handle rising costs associated with Google Maps. The company has experienced significant growth, nearing 450 million kronor in revenue and employing around 100 people in Stockholm. Antell further emphasized plans for the game to enter the e-sports arena, aiming for Geoguessr to become a leading mainstream e-sport. The increasing competitiveness of geography-based games reflects a broader shift in the gaming community, fueling the excitement surrounding the World Championship this weekend.