The Esports World Cup 2026 is reportedly moving from Riyadh to Paris, according to a GamesBeat report citing three people in the esports industry who were told about the plans directly.
The event was always scheduled for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the Esports World Cup Foundation is headquartered. The previous two editions were also held in Riyadh. But with the conflict in Iran showing no sign of ending, organizers appear to have decided that keeping the event in Saudi Arabia is no longer viable.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, had previously said publicly he hoped the third edition would still be held in Riyadh. Those hopes have not materialized.
A Major Event Under Pressure
The report landed less than two months before the event’s scheduled start on July 6. The festival runs for seven weeks and spans 24 video games, with $75 million in prize money on the line.
Saudi Arabia was struck on multiple occasions by Iranian drones and missiles, with Riyadh and the nearby King Khalid International Airport reportedly targeted in late February and early March. A ceasefire was declared in April, but the stability of the region heading into summer remains a concern for anyone planning a large-scale international event.
In March, the Esports World Cup Foundation confirmed the event would proceed as scheduled following an earlier drone attack on Riyadh, but no update has been issued since.
What This Means for CS2
For Counter-Strike fans specifically, the CS2 tournament at EWC 2026 carries some weight. The Counter-Strike event is set for the final two weeks of the festival, from August 12 to 23. It will feature 32 teams, double the number from 2025, and a $2 million prize pool, which is a $750,000 increase over last year.
Four of those 32 spots were to be decided through a non-BYOC LAN open qualifier for up to 128 teams. Whether that qualifier still goes ahead if the location changes is not yet clear.
The global VRS will determine 21 spots, while North America, South America, and Asia will each receive two regional invites. The final spot goes to the winner of the Hero Esports Asian Champions League, a $150,000 event currently underway in Shanghai.
Valve’s Exception Rules Add Another Wrinkle
A venue change does not come without process. Under Valve’s regulations, EWC would need to be granted an exception from the developer to run the CS2 tournament in a new location or with a different format. Valve’s last update to its exceptions file was made seven months ago.
That is a detail worth watching. No exception has been confirmed, and no official announcement has come from the Esports World Cup Foundation on the venue change itself.
As of publishing, the Esports World Cup Foundation has not confirmed the move to Paris. The EWC official website still references Riyadh preparations, and rosters were locked by the April 30 deadline regardless of venue. The situation is developing.
