The Esports Foundation (EF) announced that the 2026 edition of the Esports World Cup, the world’s largest esports and gaming event, will be hosted in Paris, France, from July 6 through August 23.
The Esports Foundation is guided by a long-term vision of expanding its international tournaments and competitions through collaboration with audiences, partners, and host markets worldwide over time.
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.
“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.”
The announcement builds on the continued growth of the Esports World Cup and its global audience following successive editions hosted in Riyadh.
In 2025, EWC reached more than 750 million viewers worldwide and generated over 350 million hours watched, with peak concurrent viewership nearing eight million. The event was delivered across 28 platforms through 97 broadcast partners and over 800 channels in 35 languages, reaching fans in 140 countries.
This edition of the EWC will once again welcome more than 2,000 players and 200 clubs from over 100 countries, who will compete in 24 games across 25 tournaments for a share of the record-breaking $75 million prize pool.
Source: Khaleej Times