GeoGuessr World Cup 2024: From Casual Game to Esports Phenomenon
The 2024 GeoGuessr World Cup in Stockholm showcased the game's evolution into a major esports event, featuring top players, a $55,000 prize pool, and surprise appearances from CS:GO stars.
GeoGuessr is an online game where you’re placed in a random spot on Google Street View, and you have to figure out where you are. What's interesting about it? It’s rapidly growing something much bigger than just a casual game, with players improving with mile-long steps.
Yesterday, former CS:GO and CS2 player Jesper “JW” Wecksell made a surprise appearance at the 2024 GeoGuessr World Cup to present the most awaited trophy in the discipline.
The event, held at Stockholm City Hall, marked the culmination of intense geographic competition, with 24 of the world’s top players battling for a prize pool of over $55,000. The atmosphere was on point as JW showed up. His appearance was a huge surprise for everyone and brought tons of attention to the event and the game itself from the Counter-Strike community.
It’s also worth mentioning that the event was both interesting and fun to watch from start to finish, thanks to an awesome casting crew. Launders and Pala, big caster names in the CS2 scene, brought their usual banter to the table, while Rainbolt, the GeoGuessr legend known for his crazy speedrun skills, added a bit of expert insight. TheNamelsToby, a PUBG caster, also joined in. Together, they made the event super engaging for everyone across the esports world.
Pieter “Consus” Noordijk, the 2023 world champion, returned to defend his title. But with the competition at its highest level, he only managed to finish in the 5th-8th place, dropping out in the quarterfinals and taking home $1,000.
Last year's runner-up, Thomas “Blinky” Moores, took the title and over $25,000 this time. Blinky has been dominating the GeoGuessr scene for several years: since late 2022, he consistently placed among the top contenders. His dedication over the years paid off, as winning this year’s biggest event has cemented his place as one of the best GeoGuessr players in the world.
The event lasted nearly a week, with regional online qualifiers determining who would compete in the final rounds in Stockholm. The involvement of figures like JW, Launders, and other big names of the gaming world shows just how far GeoGuessr has come, going from a casual game into a tier-1 esport. The World Cup was streamed live on Twitch and other platforms, and the Grand Finals stage sits on more than 1.2 million views on YouTube right now.