The Esports World Cup was originally scheduled for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the event had been held for its first two editions and its predecessor, Gamers8. On May 14, 2026, it was reported that the Esports Foundation had communicated the move to stakeholders. On May 20, 2026, the move was officially confirmed.
The reason given was the regional situation arising from conflict between Iran and the United States, which made the original Saudi venue impractical for international travel and logistics. The Esports Foundation confirmed that Paris was selected for its international accessibility, infrastructure, and competitive conditions. It also noted that Riyadh remains the long-term home of the event, with the intention to return in 2027.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the announcement: “We are ready to host this 2026 e-sports World Cup. Very proud to welcome the world once again.”
Despite the move being announced fewer than 50 days before the opening day, the full game lineup, prize pool, and schedule remained unchanged. All previous Riyadh ticket holders received refunds.
Dates and Venue
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Esports World Cup 2026 |
| Dates | July 6 to August 23, 2026 |
| Venue | Paris Expo Porte de Versailles |
| Location | Paris, France (15th arrondissement) |
| Duration | Seven weeks |
| Tournaments | 25 events across 24 games |
| Players | Over 2,000 |
| Clubs | Over 200 |
| Countries Represented | Over 100 |
| Total Prize Pool | $75 million |
| Venue Background | Paris Expo Porte de Versailles has hosted Paris Games Week since 2010, served as a venue during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and hosted esports events including the 2025 TFT Open. |
| Metro Access | Metro Line 12 (Porte de Versailles station, direct from Montparnasse and Saint-Lazare) |
| Alternate Metro Access | Metro Line 8 (Balard station) |
| Tram Access | Tram T2 and T3a stop at Porte de Versailles |
| Metro Line 12 Closures | Partial closures from July 16 to July 26, 2026 |
| Late-Night Metro Closures | Complete closures from 10 PM on July 8, July 9, August 19, and August 23 |
Event: Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC 2026) Dates: July 6 to August 23, 2026 Venue: Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris, France (15th arrondissement) Duration: Seven weeks Tournaments: 25 events across 24 games Players: Over 2,000 Clubs: Over 200 Countries represented: Over 100 Total prize pool: $75 million
Paris Expo Porte de Versailles is well known in the gaming community. It hosted Paris Games Week since 2010 and served as a venue during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It has also hosted past esports events, including the 2025 TFT Open.
How to get there: Metro Line 12 (Porte de Versailles station, direct from Montparnasse and Saint-Lazare) or Metro Line 8 (Balard station). Tram T2 and T3a also stop at Porte de Versailles. Note: Metro Line 12 will have partial closures from July 16 to July 26, 2026, and complete closures from 10 PM on July 8, July 9, August 19, and August 23.
Full Game Lineup: All 24 Titles
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Esports World Cup 2026 |
| Total Games | 24 titles across 25 tournaments |
| Special Format | Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is the only title with two separate competitions: Men’s and Women’s |
| New Titles | Trackmania and Fortnite |
| Dropped Titles | StarCraft II and Rennsport |
| Updated Titles | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 replaces Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 |
| EA Sports FC 26 replaces EA Sports FC 25 |
Full Game Lineup
| # | Game Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Apex Legends |
| 2 | VALORANT |
| 3 | Dota 2 |
| 4 | Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves |
| 5 | League of Legends |
| 6 | Free Fire |
| 7 | Mobile Legends: Bang Bang |
| 8 | EA Sports FC 26 |
| 9 | PUBG: Battlegrounds |
| 10 | Teamfight Tactics |
| 11 | Mobile Legends: Bang Bang |
| 12 | Overwatch 2 |
| 13 | Call of Duty: Warzone |
| 14 | Street Fighter 6 |
| 15 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 |
| 16 | PUBG Mobile |
| 17 | Honor of Kings |
| 18 | TEKKEN 8 |
| 19 | Rocket League |
| 20 | Chess |
| 21 | Rainbow Six Siege |
| 22 | Counter-Strike 2 |
| 23 | Fortnite |
| 24 | Trackmania |
| 25 | CrossFire |
EWC 2026 features 24 games across 25 tournaments. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is the only title with two separate competitions: one for men and one for women.
New to EWC 2026: Trackmania (2020) and Fortnite (returning in the Reload game mode via the Fortnite Reload Elite Series).
Dropped from EWC 2026: StarCraft II and Rennsport.
Updated titles: Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 replaces Black Ops 6, and EA Sports FC 26 replaces EA Sports FC 25.
The full list of games:
Apex Legends, VALORANT, Dota 2, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, League of Legends, Free Fire, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Women’s), EA Sports FC 26, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Teamfight Tactics, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid-Season Cup, Overwatch 2, Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence Series, Street Fighter 6, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, TEKKEN 8, Rocket League, Chess, Rainbow Six Siege, Counter-Strike 2, Fortnite (Reload Elite Series), Trackmania, CrossFire.
Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC 2026) Paris: Week-by-Week Schedule
Week 1 (July 6–12) VALORANT (July 9–12), Apex Legends ALGS Playoffs (July 7–11), Dota 2 (July 6–18), Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (July 8–11)
Week 2 (July 13–19) League of Legends (July 15–19), Free Fire (July 15–18), Dota 2 (continues through July 18), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s International (July 13–17)
Week 3 (July 20–26) EA Sports FC 26 (July 20–26), PUBG: Battlegrounds (July 20–26), Teamfight Tactics (July 22–26), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid-Season Cup (July 22–August 1)
Week 4 (July 27–August 2) Overwatch 2, Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence Series, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid-Season Cup (continues), Street Fighter 6
Week 5 (August 3–9) Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, PUBG Mobile Week 1 (August 3–16), Honor of Kings (July 30–August 8), TEKKEN 8
Week 6 (August 10–16) Rocket League, PUBG Mobile Week 2 (continues through August 16), Chess (August 11–15), Rainbow Six Siege
Week 7 (August 17–23) Counter-Strike 2 (closing tournament, ends August 23), Fortnite Reload Elite Series (August 19–22), Trackmania, CrossFire
Three to four games run simultaneously every week. Some carry over across multiple weeks. Match times will be broadcast in Paris time (CEST, UTC+2). For Indian fans, Paris time is approximately 3.5 hours behind IST. A 6 PM Paris match starts at 9:30 PM IST.
Prize Pool Breakdown
The total prize pool for EWC 2026 is $75 million, an increase of $3.5 million from EWC 2025.
The $75 million is distributed across three categories:
Club Championship: $30 million for the top 24 clubs. The Club Championship winner takes $7 million. This is the cross-game competition where clubs earn points across multiple titles throughout the event.
Individual game championships: Over $39 million distributed across the 25 game tournaments.
Other prizes: MVP awards, the Jafonso Award (for players who qualify through a Last Chance Qualifier and then win a championship), and EWC Qualifier bonuses.
The largest individual game prize pools are:
- PUBG Mobile: $3 million
- Honor of Kings: $3 million
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid-Season Cup: $3 million
- Counter-Strike 2: $2 million
- VALORANT: $2 million
- Dota 2: $2 million
- League of Legends: $2 million
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7: $2 million
- Apex Legends: $2 million
- Rainbow Six Siege: $2 million
- PUBG: Battlegrounds: $2 million
- EA Sports FC 26: $2 million
Club Championship
The Club Championship is the signature competition of EWC. It runs across the entire event and determines the best overall esports organization of 2026 based on performance across multiple game titles.
To qualify for the Club Championship, a club must finish in the top 8 in at least two competitions. To win the championship title, the club must also finish first in at least one competition.
Only players who were publicly announced as part of their organization before May 1, 2026, and registered before May 26, 2026, are eligible to earn points for their club.
The Club Partner Program for EWC 2026 includes 40 clubs from five major regions: Europe, North America, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. Nine new organizations joined the program this year. Notable organizations not included: LOUD, Bilibili Gaming, EVOS Esports, and FaZe Clan. HEROIC was removed after agreeing to void their slot following the removal of their Dota 2 roster. Karmine Corp was announced as their replacement on May 19, 2026.
How to Watch EWC 2026 Online
Every EWC 2026 tournament can be watched live and for free online. The official streaming channels are:
Twitch: The Esports World Cup has multiple Twitch channels, one per game title. Search “Esports World Cup” on Twitch and select the channel for your game.
YouTube: The official Esports World Cup YouTube channel carries main broadcasts and recaps.
Co-streaming: The Esports Foundation launched the largest creator co-streaming programme in EWC history for 2026 and ENC 2026. Authorized co-streamers across Twitch, YouTube, Bilibili, Huya, and TikTok can broadcast all matches to their communities. This means you can watch EWC 2026 through your favourite creator’s channel in your language.
Individual game publishers also stream their own tournament on their official channels. For example, VALORANT matches are available on the official VALORANT Twitch and YouTube channels in addition to EWC channels.
There is no pay-per-view requirement. All broadcasts are free.
EWC 2026 Tickets: How to Buy, Price, and Types
Ticket sales opened on May 29, 2026. All tickets are purchased through the official EWC website: esportsworldcup.com/tickets
There are three ticket types. Each pass covers a single game or tournament. Separate tickets must be purchased to attend different games.
Daily Pass: Entry for a single matchday. Prices start from €7 for group stage days and go up to €52 for finals matchdays.
Regular Tournament Pass: Access to every matchday of a selected tournament. Prices range from €25 to €183 depending on the game and whether it is a group stage or finals package.
Premium Tournament Pass: Covers every match of a selected tournament, includes fast-track entry, and comes with exclusive merchandise. This is the highest tier standard pass.
Esports Embassy: A premium hospitality experience with luxury viewing lounges, curated food and beverages, private hospitality spaces, and panoramic views of the main arenas (stc Arena and Lenovo Legion Gauntlet). Pricing is separate and not publicly listed.
Early Bird passes were available in a limited first batch. Regular Tournament Passes and Daily Passes are released in subsequent phases.
A limited-edition goodie bag is available as an add-on. It contains a coin, trading card, T-shirt, aluminium water bottle, tote bag, merch voucher, and pin.
Fans can re-enter the venue an unlimited number of times with a valid ticket on the same day.
Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony takes place on July 8, 2026, at La Seine Musicale in Paris. It is a separate, dedicated event before competition begins on July 9.
Confirmed performers: DJ Snake, Aya Nakamura, and Theodora.
Tickets for the Opening Ceremony are available through a dedicated ticketing platform on the EWC website.
The Esports Foundation has also announced a VALORANT Creator Showmatch featuring French creators Inoxtag and Squeezie, two of the most followed gaming creators in France.
Beyond the official venue, Paris is hosting a broader public festival across the city during the seven weeks of EWC 2026. Pop-up entertainment zones, live screenings on giant screens, and creator meet-and-greets are planned across various Paris neighbourhoods. Most of these off-site events are free and open to the public.
India at EWC 2026
India has a growing presence at EWC 2026 across multiple titles and programmes.
Club Partner Program: S8UL and GodLike Esports are both confirmed as EWC 2026 Club Partners. S8UL made history in 2025 as the first Indian organization in the programme. GodLike joins them in 2026. Each Club Partner receives up to $1 million in funding. As TalkEsport reported, S8UL and GodLike were selected for the Club Partner Programme, making India one of the few markets with two representatives in the programme.
PUBG Mobile (BGMI): India has two slots at the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2026, which runs as part of EWC 2026 from August 3 to August 16 in Paris. The BMPS 2026 winner earns one direct slot. As covered in TalkEsport’s guide on India’s two BGMI slots at EWC 2026, the second slot is decided through the KIE Global Points rankings across the 2026 BGMI esports calendar.
Honor of Kings: India has two slots at the Honor of Kings World Cup at EWC 2026. These slots were confirmed at the time of the HOK India launch in March 2026.
Free Fire: Free Fire runs July 15 to July 18 at EWC 2026 with a $1 million prize pool. Free Fire is one of the most-followed titles in India and South Asia.
Chess: The India Rising: Road to EWC programme, announced in May 2026 through a partnership between the Esports Foundation and JioBLAST, provides Indian chess players a domestic qualification pathway to EWC 2026 Chess, which runs August 11 to August 15. S8UL has signed Grandmaster Pranesh M, Nihal Sarin, and Aravindh Chithambaram for EWC 2026 Chess.
EWC 2025 attracted 10.5 million viewers from India despite limited Indian representation. With two Club Partners, multiple title slots, and a creator co-streaming programme, Indian viewership is expected to grow substantially in 2026.
