Carry1st has announced that Spotify will be the official music sponsor for the Carry1st Africa Cup 2025, a major Call of Duty: Mobile (CODM) tournament that doubles as the African qualifier for the CODM World Championship 2025.
Building on the success of the inaugural 2024 event, this year’s tournament will again bring together the top eight CODM teams from across Africa. These finalists will compete for a $15,000 prize pool and, more importantly, a coveted spot at the global CODM World Championship, where the total prize pool reaches $1 million.
The grand finals are scheduled for August 30-31, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria.
Guillaume Noé, VP of Growth at Carry1st, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: “The Carry1st Africa Cup is a celebration of African youth, talent, and creativity. Partnering with Spotify allows us to take this to the next level, uniting music and gaming to give fans an unforgettable experience at the grand finals.”
Spotify’s role as music sponsor includes curating the official tournament soundtrack and hosting live DJ sets and artist performances during the event. Attendees in Lagos will enjoy the Spotify Fan Zone, featuring a music lounge, interactive games, phone charging stations, and exclusive giveaways to enhance the fan experience beyond esports.
In anticipation of the finals, Spotify will launch the Carry1st Africa Cup Official Playlist on August 3, featuring a mix of Afrobeats, Afro-gaming tracks, and fan-voted hits from across Africa. The final playlist will be unveiled the week of August 11, with fan voting linked to the Nigeria regional finals.
Sithabile Kachisa, associate director of marketing for Sub-Saharan Africa at Spotify, stated, “Spotify is thrilled to partner with Carry1st to bring the power of music to the biggest mobile gaming tournament on the continent. Together, we’re creating a space where African gamers and artists can shine on a global stage.”
The tournament qualifiers ran from May to July across key African regions including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, Morocco, and Francophone West Africa (Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Senegal), with a wildcard slot allowing additional countries to compete.
Matches follow a double-elimination, Best-of-5 (Bo5) format, except for the Grand Final. The top teams will meet in Lagos for the LAN showdown, where the winner earns a ticket to the Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship 2025.
