MOUZ has confirmed that Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo is no longer under contract with the organization. The move ends a partnership that lasted more than four years and spanned both the team’s academy program and its main Counter-Strike 2 roster.
From MOUZ NXT to the Main Roster
Jimpphat joined MOUZ NXT in May 2022. He spent just over a year developing in the academy system before earning a promotion to the main squad in July 2023.
🐭 1503 Days of Jimi "Jimpphat" Salo 🇫🇮
🏆 WePlay Academy League Season 4 🏆 ESL Pro League 18 🏆 ESL Pro League 19 🏆 BB Dacha Belgrade 🏆 PGL Cluj Napoca 2025
🥉 HLTV Top 20 #17 2024
It was a pleasure to watch you grow into the player, teammate, and young man you have become… pic.twitter.com/K375sT8rVr
That path is fairly common in modern Counter-Strike, where organizations use academy teams to prepare young talent for top-tier competition. For Jimpphat, the system worked. He grew from an NXT prospect into a regular fixture on one of the sport’s most recognizable rosters.
The Road to the Bench
MOUZ benched Jimpphat in April 2026. The same shake-up also saw Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin removed from the starting five.
The changes came after a difficult start to the year for MOUZ. The team failed to reach finals or contend for trophies during the opening months of 2026, prompting the organization to rework its lineup.
Since then, Jimpphat has not featured on MOUZ’s active roster. His departure now makes that separation permanent.
NetEase has just shipped out a new update to Marvel Rivals, and it brings with it a series of brand-new cosmetics to the hero shooter alongside a few other improvements.
The July 2 Marvel Rivals update introduces a couple of new skins for White Fox and Lady Loki to the Pop & Win Cross-Pool Promo event, while also adding the Seaside Sentinel Bundle for Captain America to the in-game store.
Lastly, there are some fixes to Cyclops’s Diffraction Dilemma and Rogue’s Siphon Stutter abilities.
Without further ado, let’s check out the detailed patch notes for the Marvel Rivals July 2 update.
Tides will rise and fall, be the unwavering force that refuses to wash away. 🌊
Coast undefeated as Captain America's Seaside Sentinel, Loki's Seaside Siren, and White Fox's Coastal Kumiho costumes!
The Marvel Rivals July 2 update is the last big content drop that the game will receive before the much-anticipated Season 9 patch. For the uninitiated, Marvel Rivals Season 9 will officially kick off on July 10, 2026, as confirmed in the Season 8.5 roadmap.
Below, we have listed the full patch notes for today’s Marvel Rivals update:
All-New Content
Pop & Win ☆ Cross-Pool Promo
– Lady Loki – Seaside Siren – White Fox – Coastal Kumiho
Limited Time: July 2nd, 2026, 09:00:00 to July 31st, 2026, 02:00:00 (UTC)
New In Store
– Captain America – Seaside Sentinel Bundle – Lady Loki – Seaside Siren Chroma Sunlit Sovereign/Sapphire Sorceress, Ultimate Ability VFX, and Customizable Parts – White Fox – Coastal Kumiho Chroma Glimmering Green/Pink Paws, Ultimate Ability VFX, and Customizable Parts – Captain America – Seaside Sentinel Customizable Parts
Limited Time: July 2nd, 2026, 09:00:00 to July 31st, 2026, 02:00:00 (UTC)
Fixes and Optimizations
Heroes
– Cyclops’s Diffraction Dilemma: Fixed a bug where using Ricochet Force could result in abnormal cooldown timers or UI display errors. Scott’s visor calculations are back to being absolutely flawless. – Rogue’s Siphon Stutter: Fixed an issue where using Ability Absorption would occasionally cause brief lag or stuttering. Rogue can now absorb powers as smoothly as a southern belle.
Epic Games has kept the Sprite content flowing since Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 launched. Special Sprite events add temporary modifiers that help players grow their collections faster.
Here is the full schedule of Sprite events, covering what’s live, what’s coming next, and what already happened this season.
Upcoming Fortnite Sprite Events in Chapter 7 Season 3
Here is every upcoming Fortnite Sprite event scheduled for this season:
Legendary Sprite Catch Up Day: July 2, 2026, at 9 AM ET
Gold and Gummy Hours: July 4, 2026, at 2 PM ET and 9 PM ET
Mastery Mondays: June 6, 2026, at 9 AM ET
New Sprite Day (Holofoil): July 9, 2026
Holofoil Hours: July 11, 2026 (expected)
Legendary Sprite Catch Up Day
This event starts on July 2, 2026, at 9 AM ET and runs for 24 hours. During this window, Epic has raised the spawn rate of Legendary Sprites. That includes the Dream Sprite, the Punk Sprite, and the Boss Sprite.
Epic has run these Sprite events so far in Chapter 7 Season 3:
Golden Hour: June 13, 2026, at 3:30 PM ET and 9:30 PM ET
Gummy Hour: June 20, 2026, at 2 PM ET and 9 PM ET
Galaxy Hours: June 27, 2026, at 2 PM ET and 9 PM ET
Mastery Monday: June 29, 2026, at 9 AM ET
Each of these past events boosted spawn rates for a specific Special variant, such as Gold, Gummy, or Galaxy Sprites. As Epic adds more Special variants to the game, similar weekend events are expected to continue.
Luminosity Gaming is back in Counter-Strike. On July 1, 2026, the organization officially announced its return to CS2 after a seven-year absence, signing four players from Monte and one from Legacy.
The Roster
Luminosity’s confirmed five-player lineup:
afro (Aurélien Drapier)
Rainwaker (Aleks Petrov)
Bymas (Aurimas Pipiras)
AZUWU (Oscar Bell)
lux (Lucas Meneghini) – in-game leader
afro, Bymas, and AZUWU joined as free agents after their Monte contracts expired following the IEM Cologne Major 2026. Rainwaker was under contract and required a buyout from Monte. lux, a Brazilian IGL, was previously with Legacy and was benched in February 2026.
The only Monte player who will not join Luminosity is Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen, who is expected to join 100 Thieves instead.
Why This Happened
Luminosity founder Steve Maida sold the organization back in 2019 to Aquilini GameCo Inc. for over CAD $16 million. In January 2026, he reacquired it from Vertiqal Studios for just CAD $300,000 (approximately $212,000 USD). A significant drop in price, but Maida’s goal was always this specific moment.
Maida said: “After retiring in 2021 and watching Luminosity it was always my goal to one day buy it back and put LG where it belongs — where it all started – Counter-Strike.”
When the Monte core became available as free agents after Cologne, Luminosity moved quickly. The players had reportedly already signed contracts before the Major ended. Monte’s management had tried to extend their contracts before the tournament but failed. After Monte were eliminated, the players told the organization they were leaving.
Monte’s Run at IEM Cologne Major 2026
The reason this roster is valuable: it just proved itself at a Major.
At IEM Cologne Major 2026, Monte beat Legacy, paiN, and PARIVISION. They went toe-to-toe with G2, The MongolZ, and eventual champions Falcons. They finished 12th to 14th. Not a trophy, but enough to turn heads and build VRS points.
Because Luminosity inherited Monte’s rankings, the new team enters CS2 already sitting at 17th on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS). That puts them in contention for a Singapore Major invite later in 2026 if they maintain form. For context on how the CS2 VRS rankings work and which teams they affect, TalkEsport covered the June 2026 update in detail.
Already Competing
Luminosity did not wait. They debuted at XSE Pro League 2026, a tier-1 event in China with a $500,000 prize pool, on July 1, facing Team Nemesis in their opening match. They lost 10-13 in a best-of-one. They need to win three of their remaining five matches to reach the playoffs.
The History Behind the Name
Luminosity’s legacy in Counter-Strike runs deep. In 2016, the organization fielded the Brazilian lineup of FalleN, coldzera, TACO, fnx, and fer, winning the MLG Columbus Major before the roster moved to SK Gaming and won another Major. That squad is considered one of the greatest in CS history.
This new roster is European and international, a clear shift from Luminosity’s Brazilian roots. But the brand carrying that history back into CS2 is the whole point. As TalkEsport documented when Luminosity parted ways with their CS:GO roster in 2019, that September exit marked the end of Luminosity’s CS era. July 1, 2026 marks the start of the new one.
June 2026 proved to be one of the biggest months of the esports calendar, with millions of fans tuning in across multiple titles. From Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) to Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) and League of Legends, competitive gaming continued its impressive growth, while several tournaments broke significant viewership milestones. According to viewership data available as of 2 July 2026, seven tournaments surpassed one million peak viewers, highlighting the industry’s continued global appeal.
Top 10 Most-Watched Esports Tournaments of June 2026
MPL Indonesia Season 17 (MLBB) – Nearly 2.95 million peak viewers
IEM Cologne Major 2026 (CS2) – More than 2.75 million peak viewers
LCK 2026 Road to MSI (League of Legends) – Around 2.27 million peak viewers
Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2026(Opening Stage) – Over 1.39 million peak viewers
2026 Asian Games Southeast Asia MLBB Qualifiers – Around 1.27 million peak viewers
VALORANT Masters London 2026
Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series (BMPS) 2026
Rocket League Streamer Invitational
Arena of Valor Regional Championship
Other regional esports events that crossed major viewership milestones
Mobile Legends Continues to Lead
Mobile Legends once again demonstrated its dominance, particularly in Southeast Asia. MPL Indonesia Season 17 finished June as the world’s most-watched tournament, while MLBB also featured prominently through the Asian Games qualifiers. The game’s consistently strong regional fanbase continues to make it one of the biggest esports ecosystems globally.
CS2 and League of Legends Remain Global Giants
Counter-Strike 2 enjoyed a historic month with the IEM Cologne Major 2026, which set new audience records for the franchise. Meanwhile, League of Legends maintained its massive international following through the LCK Road to MSI and the opening days of MSI 2026, with T1’s matches attracting particularly high viewership.
Looking Ahead
With MSI 2026 continuing into July and several major tournaments still to come, June’s numbers may only be the beginning. The first half of 2026 has already shown that Mobile Legends, Counter-Strike 2 and League of Legends remain the three biggest drivers of global esports audiences, setting the stage for an even bigger second half of the year.
Free Fire at the Esports World Cup 2026 is the third edition of Free Fire’s major international LAN tournament held under the EWC banner. It is organized by Garena and the Esports World Cup Foundation. The event is commonly called the Free Fire World Cup or FFWC 2026 by the community.
This year marks the first time the event features 24 teams, up from 18 in 2025. New regions including Africa, Nepal, and the United States have earned slots for the first time. India also returns to the competition after missing EWC 2025 due to the temporary Free Fire ban in the country.
Dates and Venue
Dates: July 15 to July 18, 2026 Venue: Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris, France Prize Pool: $1,000,000 (approximately ₹9.4 crore) Teams: 24
The tournament was originally planned for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On May 20, 2026, the entire Esports World Cup moved to Paris due to regional tensions arising from the Iran-United States conflict. The game lineup, prize pool, and schedule stayed intact. Free Fire falls in Week 2 of the seven-week EWC 2026 festival, which runs July 6 to August 23.
Format: Group Stage, Survival Stage, and Champion Rush Finals
Free Fire EWC 2026 uses a three-stage format across the four competition days.
Group Stage The 24 teams are split into groups. The top 4 teams from each group advance directly to the Finals. Teams placed 5th to 10th move to the Survival Stage. The bottom 2 teams in each group are eliminated.
Survival Stage Teams from the 5th to 10th positions compete for the remaining spots in the Finals. The top 4 qualify for the Finals. All others are eliminated.
Finals: Champion Rush The Finals use the Champion Rush format. Teams play under standard tournament rules until a team reaches a pre-decided points threshold called the Champion Rush Point. Once a team hits that threshold, the upcoming matches become Champion Rush eligible for that team. The first team to secure a Booyah after becoming eligible is crowned champion. If no team secures a Booyah after reaching the threshold within the maximum number of matches, the team with the highest total points wins.
This format rewards consistent performance across all matches while creating a decisive moment for the final Booyah.
Prize Pool
The total prize pool for Free Fire at EWC 2026 is $1,000,000 (₹9.4 crore). This is part of the broader $75 million EWC 2026 prize fund distributed across all 25 tournaments.
The exact per-placement breakdown has not been officially published. The champion also receives an automatic berth at the FFWS Global Finals 2026 in Bangkok in November, making the title carry dual competitive value.
All 24 Teams and Regional Slot Breakdown
Free Fire EWC 2026 is the first edition to feature 24 teams, adding six new slots from EWC 2025’s 18-team format. The expansion brought in new regions and gave existing regions like Bangladesh additional representation.
Confirmed slot distribution:
Region
Slots
Southeast Asia (FFWS SEA Spring)
8
Brazil
3
LATAM
2
Bangladesh
2
India
3
Pakistan
1
MEA (Middle East and Africa)
1
Nepal
1
EWC 2025 Champion (EVOS Divine)
1
Additional slots (TBC)
2
Three regions appear at the EWC Free Fire event for the first time: Africa, Nepal, and the United States. Most of the 24 teams were confirmed by late June 2026. As of the article’s writing, 21 of the 24 sides had been decided.
India at Free Fire EWC 2026
India’s return to the Free Fire world stage is significant. The country missed EWC 2025 entirely because of the temporary ban on Free Fire in India, which disrupted the competitive ecosystem and left Indian teams without an official qualification pathway.
India has three confirmed slots at FFWC 2026. All three were decided through the Free Fire MAX India Cup (FFMIC) 2026 Spring, which ran from February to April 2026. The confirmed Indian teams are:
S8UL Esports: Qualified as runner-up at FFMIC 2026 Spring Grand Finals in Ahmedabad.
Team Apex Gaming: Qualified via FFMIC 2026 Spring.
Total Gaming Esports: Qualified via FFMIC 2026 Spring.
This is the first time India has sent three teams to a Free Fire international LAN tournament. The three slots reflect both Garena’s renewed commitment to the Indian market and India’s growth as a competitive Free Fire region. As TalkEsport reported, FFMIC 2026 Spring was one of the biggest Free Fire MAX events held in India, with thousands of teams competing from city qualifiers through to the offline Grand Finals.
S8UL’s Free Fire MAX Roster
S8UL Esports is one of the three Indian teams at FFWC 2026 and the most high-profile Indian organisation at EWC overall, having been selected for the EWC Club Partner Programme for the second consecutive year.
Their Free Fire MAX roster for EWC 2026:
Troll (Naitik Sharma)
Prinxz (Prince Saini) — captain
Bunny (Jay Verma)
Jack07 (Harshit Nain)
Stiven (Abhishek Gupta)
S8UL’s route to EWC 2026 came through FFMIC 2026 Spring, where the team finished runner-up at the Ahmedabad Grand Finals. In the Champion Rush stage, they accumulated 131 points and two Booyahs across eight matches to finish second and secure one of India’s three spots.
Speaking on the qualification, team captain Prince Saini said the team’s chemistry and shared game sense were the core strengths that carried them through a multi-stage competition involving hundreds of teams.
Free Fire is S8UL’s sixth confirmed title at EWC 2026, alongside Honor of Kings, Chess, Trackmania, Apex Legends, and Fortnite.
Defending Champion: EVOS Divine
The defending champion at Free Fire EWC is EVOS Divine from Indonesia, who won the Free Fire x EWC 2025 title at Riyadh. EVOS Divine are the only team guaranteed a direct invitation to FFWC 2026 as defending champions, without needing to go through regional qualification.
EVOS Divine’s EWC 2025 win gave them automatic entry into the FFWS Global Finals 2025, which followed the same champion-gets-a-berth structure that EWC 2026 also uses. They enter Paris as the team to beat.
SEA teams make up the largest regional bloc with 8 of the 24 slots. This reflects Southeast Asia’s historically dominant position in Free Fire esports. The 2021 FFWS set the all-time peak live viewership record for mobile esports at that time, driven largely by SEA audiences and teams.
Where to Watch
Online (Free): All Free Fire matches at EWC 2026 stream live on the official Free Fire Esports India YouTube channel and the official EWC YouTube and Twitch channels. The Esports Foundation also has an expanded Creator Co-streaming Programme for EWC 2026, meaning authorized creators on Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and Bilibili can co-stream all matches to their communities.
In Person: Free Fire EWC 2026 is held at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from July 15 to July 18. Tickets for the Free Fire tournament days can be purchased through the official EWC website. Daily Passes for group stage days start from €7. Tournament Passes for the full competition window range from €25 to €183. All passes are game-specific, so separate tickets are needed to attend different tournament days at EWC.
Getting to the venue: Metro Line 12 (Porte de Versailles station) or Tram T2/T3a. Metro Line 12 has partial closures from July 16 to July 26, 2026, so plan your journey in advance.
Watch times for Indian fans: Paris time (CEST) is 3.5 hours behind IST. A 6 PM Paris match starts at 9:30 PM IST.
FFWS Global Finals 2026: What Comes After
The Free Fire World Series Global Finals 2026 takes place in Bangkok, Thailand, in November 2026. Exact dates are November 6 to 29. This is the annual world championship for Free Fire and the final major event on the competitive calendar.
For the first time, the FFWS Global Finals 2026 expands from 18 teams to 24. The EWC 2026 champion earns a direct berth at the Bangkok event, making the Paris title doubly valuable.
Qualification paths for the FFWS Global Finals include the FFWS Spring season champions, FFWS Fall season top finishers, and the EWC 2026 champion slot. Southeast Asia’s Fall Split is scheduled August to September 2026.
The Esports World Cup 2026 kicks off in Paris with one of the biggest opening ceremonies in competitive gaming history. Here is every confirmed detail about the event, the performers, and what to expect on the night.
Date, Time, and Venue
The EWC 2026 Opening Ceremony takes place on July 8, 2026 at La Seine Musicale – a landmark concert venue on the Île Seguin in Boulogne-Billancourt, just outside central Paris. La Seine Musicale has hosted major international events since opening in 2017, and it serves as the fitting backdrop for the first Esports World Cup ever held outside Riyadh.
The ceremony officially marks the start of EWC 2026, which runs from July 6 to August 23 across 25 tournaments in 24 esports titles. The Opening Ceremony falls two days into the festival window.
Three headline acts have been confirmed: DJ Snake, Aya Nakamura, and Theodora. All three are French, which is a deliberate choice by the Esports Foundation to root the opening night in the culture of the host city.
Aya Nakamura is widely regarded as the queen of French pop. She blends R&B, Afrobeats, zouk, and French pop across her catalogue and has built a global following that goes well beyond France. She performed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony – making her one of the only artists to have headlined both the Olympics and the Esports World Cup in Paris.
DJ Snake grew up in Paris and became one of the most globally recognised DJs and producers in the world. His live shows are known for their scale and energy, and his sound draws from electronic music, hip-hop, pop, and club culture.
Theodora is a newer name to international audiences but has built serious momentum through a sound that blends rap, pop, and club music with a creative aesthetic shaped by online culture – a natural fit for an esports audience.
One important clarification from the Esports Foundation: this is a ceremony and entertainment show, not a concert. All three artists will perform short, specially curated segments as part of the broader Opening Ceremony programme rather than full sets.
Why Paris, Why These Artists
EWC 2026 moved from Riyadh to Paris following the regional instability in the Middle East that disrupted airline access to Saudi Arabia earlier this year. French President Emmanuel Macron met EWC Foundation CEO Ralf Reichert at the Palais Elysée to mark Paris taking on the event, signalling strong governmental support for the decision.
The performer lineup reflects that context. Esports Foundation COO Mike McCabe explained: “As we bring EWC 2026 to Paris for the first time, we wanted to celebrate the city through artists who have helped shape music and culture in France today.”
For reference, EWC 2025’s opening ceremony in Riyadh was sold out and featured Post Malone as the headline act alongside Alesso and several others. Paris is aiming for something equally ambitious but distinctly French in character.
The Inoxtag vs Squeezie Valorant Showmatch
Alongside the Opening Ceremony, EWC 2026 also features a creator Valorant Showmatch between two of France’s biggest online personalities: Inoxtag and Squeezie.
Inoxtag is known for his gaming content and ambitious large-scale challenges. His documentary Kaizen, which followed his ascent of Mount Everest, drew millions of viewers and extended his reach far beyond the gaming community. Squeezie is France’s second most-followed YouTuber, known for gaming, entertainment content, and music projects.
Doigby, one of France’s most popular streamers, will host the showmatch. Additional surprise guests are also expected on stage. Commentary will be in French.
The Opening Ceremony sets the tone for seven weeks of competition across 24 esports titles. EWC 2025 drew over 750 million viewers worldwide with a peak concurrent viewership of nearly 8 million. Paris, with its infrastructure, fanbase, and the backing of the French government, is pushing to match or exceed that. More than 2,000 players and 200 clubs from over 100 countries will be competing for a share of the $75 million prize pool.
July 8 at La Seine Musicale is where it all begins.
EWC 2026 Schedule
Week
Dates
Main Tournaments
Week 1
July 6–12
VALORANT, Apex Legends ALGS, Dota 2, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Week 2
July 13–19
League of Legends, Free Fire, MLBB Women’s Invitational, Dota 2 Finals
Week 3
July 20–26
EA Sports FC 26, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Teamfight Tactics, MLBB Mid-Season Cup
Week 4
July 27–Aug 2
Overwatch 2, COD: Warzone, Street Fighter 6, MLBB MSC Continues
Week 5
Aug 3–9
COD: Black Ops 7, PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, TEKKEN 8
Week 6
Aug 10–16
Rocket League, PUBG Mobile Finals, Chess, Rainbow Six Siege
Time Zone Note: Paris matches will follow CEST (UTC+2). Indian viewers can add +3 hours 30 minutes for IST timings. Example: 6 PM Paris = 9:30 PM IST.
Week 1 (July 6–12) features VALORANT, Apex Legends ALGS, Dota 2, and Fatal Fury. Week 2 (July 13–19) brings League of Legends, Free Fire, MLBB Women’s Invitational, and Dota 2 Finals. Week 3 (July 20–26) includes EA Sports FC 26, PUBG: Battlegrounds, TFT, and MLBB MSC.
Week 4 (July 27–Aug 2) features Overwatch 2, COD: Warzone, Street Fighter 6, and MLBB MSC continuing. Week 5 (Aug 3–9) includes COD: Black Ops 7, PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, and TEKKEN 8. Week 6 (Aug 10–16) brings Rocket League, Chess, Rainbow Six Siege, and PUBG Mobile Finals. Week 7 (Aug 17–23) closes with Counter-Strike 2, Fortnite Reload Elite Series, Trackmania, and CrossFire.
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.
Sixteen teams will compete at the tournament. ESL has not revealed which city in Brazil will host the event, though the 2026 edition took place in Rio de Janeiro.
How Teams Qualify for IEM Brazil 2027
The invite structure for IEM Brazil 2027 follows a set pattern. Eleven of the sixteen teams will earn their spots through the global Valve Regional Standings, known as VRS.
One additional slot each will go to the top team from the North American and South American regional VRS rankings. That accounts for two more places.
The final three spots will be decided through qualifiers. Two of these will be global qualifiers, while one will be an Americas qualifier.
Tournament Format
IEM Brazil 2027 will open with a group stage split into two groups of eight teams each. Every group will play in a double-elimination, best-of-three format.
Each group will send four teams through to the playoffs, bringing the total playoff field to eight teams.
ESL’s Full 2027 Event Roadmap
IEM Brazil is one of several events on ESL’s confirmed calendar for 2027. The full roadmap currently looks like this:
IEM Krakow: January 27 to February 7
ESL Pro League Season 25: March 6 to 14
IEM USA: April 5 to 11
IEM Brazil: May 3 to 9
ESL Event #5: August 2 to 15
ESL Event #6: September 23 to October 3
ESL Event #7: October 30 to November 7
Locations for ESL’s later 2027 events have not been announced yet.
More details on IEM Brazil 2027, including the host city and qualifier schedule, are expected from ESL in the coming months.
Luminosity Gaming, one of the most iconic names in the world of competitive Counter-Strike, has officially announced its return to CS2.
This marks the end of the Canadian organization’s seven-year absence from the competitive CS scene.
Earlier today, Luminosity Gaming announced the acquisition of Lucas “lux” Meneghini along with four players from the former Monte roster, marking its re-entry into the game following the release of its Brazilian roster seven years ago.
The move comes after founder Steve Maida bought back the Luminosity brand from Vertiqal Studios for roughly $212,000 in January, years after selling the organization to Aquilini GameCo for over $16 million back in 2019.
Maida explained that rebuilding around Counter-Strike had been his goal ever since retiring in 2021, and that the squad’s strong showing in Cologne convinced him the timing was right.
“After retiring in 2021 and watching Luminosity, it was always my goal to one day buy it back and put LG where it belongs, where it all started, Counter-Strike,” he said in a statement. “Today I couldn’t be happier to finally announce that day has come.”
The new roster largely carries over Monte’s core following their breakout run at the Cologne 2026 Major. Aurimas “Bymas” Pipiras, Aurélien “afro” Drapier, and Oscar “AZUWU” Bell all arrive as free agents once their Monte contracts lapsed, while Aleks “Rainwaker” Petrov required a contract buyout.
The only departure from the original Monte lineup is captain Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen, who is reportedly headed to 100 Thieves, with lux stepping in as his replacement and the team’s new IGL.
The rebuilt Luminosity Gaming squad, now competing under a European banner, is wasting no time getting to work. The new lineup debuted at the XSE Pro League 2026, kicking off a new chapter for the organization’s return to the competitive stage.
