CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball has proudly named Visit Raleigh as the official presenting sponsor of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) eBaseball™ Series 2025 USA Finals and the WBSC eBaseball™ Series 2025 World Finals. The premier national and international esports event will be held at NC State University’s Gaming and Esport Lab in Raleigh, North Carolina, from November 7-9.
The announcement precedes the event’s commencement on Friday, November 7, where the world's top players of WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS will gather for the in-person tournament. Developed by the multinational entertainment company Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (KONAMI), the POWER PROS series has a prestigious history, featuring annually in the WBSC eBaseball™ Series since 2023 and also as part of the Olympic Virtual Series (2021) and Olympic Esports Series (2023).
The Series 2025 is a collection of online and offline WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS competitions held across the world from 13 nations, which started in April. For the first time, there was also a Women's Qualifier in addition to the Global Qualifier.
“USA Baseball is thrilled to announce Visit Raleigh as the presenting sponsor of this year’s USA eBaseball™ Finals and WBSC eBaseball™ Series World Finals,” said Senior Director of Technology Russell Hartford. “For years, Visit Raleigh has demonstrated an outstanding ability to connect the community of the greater Raleigh area and showcase local events to a growing audience. Additionally, the partnership demonstrates the growth of esports, both from a competitive and entertainment perspective. We are ecstatic to host this event, the players and fans for what certainly should be a great weekend.”
“Raleigh continues to stand out as a global esports destination,” said Loren Gold, executive vice president of Visit Raleigh. “Our city has a proven track record of hosting major international tournaments, alongside a strong foundation in collegiate competition. Our partnership with NC State and USA Baseball reflects our region’s commitment to innovation and the future of competitive gaming. Esports thrive in Raleigh, and we are proud to showcase that on a global stage.”
As the presenting sponsor, Visit Raleigh will play a key role in amplifying the event to a wider global audience and elevating the player and spectator experience. This partnership is a testament to the region’s commitment to growing esports, especially following USA Baseball's recent recognition as the first-ever WBSC eSports Federation of the Year for its promotion and development of esports in 2025.
Over the course of three days, 12 players will compete at North Carolina State’s state-of-the-art esports lab, which was purpose-built from generous state support. On Friday, the USA Finals will take place and will qualify both the champion and runner-up (wild card) for the WBSC eBaseball™ Series World Finals Super Round. The World Finals Super Round starts with group play on Saturday, while Sunday will consist of bracket play and the championship game. For more information on the event visit www.wbsc.org/en/disciplines/esport.
About the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh):
As the official destination marketing organization for Wake County, Visit Raleigh is responsible for promoting Wake County as an attractive travel destination and enhancing its public image as a dynamic place to live and work. Through the impact of travel, the organization strengthens the industry and the community's economic position and provides opportunities for people throughout Wake County. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes 19 million visitors annually, whose spending tops $3.4 billion. The visitor economy supports more than 26,000 local jobs in Wake County and generates $321 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $720 in taxes annually. visitRaleigh.com
