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History is made as France becomes the first international city to host the biggest esports tournament in the world.
The Esports World Cup is finally going global as the Esports Foundation announced that the 2026 edition will be held in Paris, France.
From July 6 to August 23, Paris will host 24 games being played over 25 tournaments. Over 2,000 players and 200 clubs will head to France for a share of the record-breaking 75 million USD prize pool. They’ll be accompanied by the eyes of millions of fans as they tune in from over 100 countries.
Following an extended evaluation process and in light of the current regional situation, the Esports Foundation decided to accelerate their long term vision of growing its international tournaments. They see the Esports World Cup as a collaboration with audiences, partners and host markets around the world.
Moving the 2026 edition to Paris offers clarity and stability for players, clubs, publishers, partners, and fans worldwide. At the same time, it preserves the tournament’s scale, structure, and competitive integrity while keeping its prestige.
“Riyadh helped turn the Esports World Cup into a global phenomenon,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation. “Riyadh is the home of EWC and one of the world’s leading hubs for esports, powered by an incredible community of fans and long-term ambition for the future of the sport. This year, we’re excited to bring EWC to Paris for its first edition outside Saudi Arabia.”
“Paris has hosted some of the world’s biggest sporting events and is one of the great global capitals of sport, culture and entertainment. Together with the passion of French fans and the strong support we’ve received locally, we’re excited to bring the global esports community there for the next chapter of EWC. Paris now becomes the first international chapter in EWC history.”
Details on the new venue of EWC 2026 will be announced over the coming weeks. More information about EWC can be found in the official EWC 2026 website.
Banner image from Esports World Cup.
Frequently Asked Questions
The 2026 Esports World Cup will be hosted in Paris, France. This marks the first time the international gaming tournament will take place outside of Saudi Arabia. The Esports Foundation accelerated its global expansion plans to provide regional stability and long-term growth for participating clubs and global partners.
The Esports World Cup 2026 will run from July 6 to August 23, 2026. Over this seven-week period, the international tournament will feature 25 distinct tournaments across 24 different video game titles, drawing millions of viewers from over 100 countries worldwide.
The Esports World Cup 2026 features a record-breaking 75 million USD prize pool. This historic prize fund will be contested by more than 2,000 individual players representing 200 elite esports clubs globally, maintaining the tournament’s signature prestige, competitive scale, and structural integrity.
The Esports World Cup moved to Paris to accelerate international expansion and ensure regional stability. While Riyadh remains the historic home hub for the EWC, the Esports Foundation shifted the 2026 edition to France to secure operational clarity for publishers, players, and global partners.
More than 2,000 players and 200 professional clubs will participate in EWC 2026. These elite competitors will represent the global gaming community across 25 separate tournaments, making the Paris event one of the largest multi-title competitive gaming spectacles in history.