Esports trophies are more than just glittering symbols of victory. They represent the culmination of countless hours of strategy, skill, and dedication.
Making top headlines in 2024 is the Esports World Cup trophy designed by Thomas Lyte. Standing at 60cm tall, and handcrafted from 9kg of sterling silver bullion with 24-carat gold plate, the trophy is a beacon of prestige, and represents the highest honour for the world’s best esports organisations.
A British luxury goods and trophy manufacturer known for its exceptional craftsmanship and innovative designs, this is not their first rodeo in the competition world. Crafting trophies for major sports leagues, corporate awards, and charitable organizations, Thomas Lyte have extended their expertise to create bespoke trophies that capture the essence of competitive gaming.
In an exclusive interview with ONE Esports, the design team at Thomas Lyte that was involved in the creation of the Esports World Cup trophy from start to finish shares more about the significance behind one of the most unique esports trophies ever made.
How the Esports World Cup trophy was designed — Thomas Lyte gives a closer look
Thomas Lyte believes that symbols of achievement are universal in design, whether in sports or in esports. To the company, esports is unique due to it’s limitless imagination and the deep lore that surrounds the game in question.
“We’ve had some highly creative briefs across so many games titles and genres. The ambition of esports organisations to connect with their fans is unmatched, and the projects are some of the most challenging,” the design team said. “However, we’re always so interested to see the fan reactions in real time online when an esports trophy is revealed.”
Over the years, esports trophies have evolved to reflect the unique culture and intensity of individual titles, capturing the high-stakes spectacle in a one of a kind laurel. Thomas Lyte had handcrafted the LEC trophy, FIFAe World Cup trophy, eChampions League trophy, and the most iconic Summoner’s Cup for the League of Legends World Championship that debuted in season two.
This makes designing the Esports World Cup trophy a little different because it crowns the best esports club in the world across different titles as the tournament saw more than 20 video games played accompanied by massive prize pools.
“We knew that the Esports World Cup will include many of the biggest gaming titles across multiple genres, so we did not want to lean on any genre too heavily,” the Thomas Lyte design team told ONE Esports. “We wanted to produce a design inspired by the landscapes of Saudi Arabia, the host country, that carried symbols of esports culture and the spirit of competition.”
The team originally came up with 10 concept ideas that were “quite varied in shape and in inspiration.” Oftentimes, the first designs are unrecognisable to the final design as they work with the tournament organizer’s creative teams and leadership to ensure that they match their ambitions for the tournament.
The most noticeable highlighting feature of the Esports World Cup trophy is its body that’s constructed with interweaving triangles. Inspired by game controller buttons that “have become such an important part of the esports athlete’s experience across the Esports World Cup,” the Thomas Lyte design team also wanted the stem to resemble the trunk of a palm tree, a well-known symbol of Saudi Arabia.
The second most disinctive feature is the crown atop a globe, which “symbolises champions as the Kings of Esports,” while the handles were fashioned to resemble compacted computer wiring.
“Casting metal is often overlooked as a skill in silversmithing. It is a skill that has been practiced for thousands of years, which is why casting such a complex shape for such a large trophy required all of our team’s expertise to produce something beautiful,” the Thomas Lyte design team shared.
“For this striking Esports World Cup trophy, our crafting team in London had cast the stem from a 3D printed model, which allowed us to tweak and prototype until we had perfected the process,” they added.
The amount of expertise, creativity, and craftsmanship that went into this large trophy was tremendous, and the team is especially proud of the interweaving triangles on the body because “it really highlights the way that the design of a tournaments trophy can inspire the branding across the tournament.”
After all, it’s these same triangles that inspired the triangular “keys” that have become such an important part of the esports athlete’s experience across the Esports World Cup where a distinct triangular key was crafted for each team. The winning team selects three keys from the teams they have defeated, gets them crushed, then mounts them under the honor board.
“It really highlights the way that the design of a tournaments trophy can inspire the branding across the tournament, something which we are always so proud to see,” said the Thomas Lyte design team.
Team Falcons, who won Call of Duty Warzone and Free Fire, and participated in other titles, accumulated the most Club Championship points, have been officially crowned the inaugural winners of the Esports World Cup.
READ MORE: 60M Esports World Cup prize pool distribution: Club Championship points explained
