The 2026 Esports World Cup will be held outside Saudi Arabia for the first time in the event’s history, taking place in Paris, France, from July 6 through August 23. The combined event is the largest esports event on the calendar.
The Esports Foundation made the announcement, stating that “following an extended evaluation process, and in light of the current regional situation, the Esports Foundation decided to accelerate that international rotation ambition for the 2026 edition, offering clarity and stability for players, clubs, publishers, partners, and fans worldwide, while preserving the tournament’s scale, structure and competitive integrity”.
The 2026 EWC will feature more than 2,000 players and 200 clubs from over 100 countries competing in 24 games across 25 tournaments for a prize pool of more than $75 million. A venue in Paris will be announced in the coming weeks.
In 2025, EWC reached more than 750 million viewers worldwide, generated over 350 million hours watched, and peaked at nearly 8 million concurrent viewers. The event was delivered across 28 platforms through 97 broadcast partners and more than 800 channels in 35 languages across 140 countries.
