For the first time since it began, the Esports World Cup is leaving Riyadh. The 2026 edition moves to Paris this summer with the biggest cheque in the history of the sport waiting at the end of it: a record $75 million prize pool, up from $71.5 million in 2025.
The Esports Foundation has confirmed Paris Expo Porte de Versailles as the home of the event, which runs from 6 July to 23 August. It is a late switch from Riyadh, with organisers pointing to the regional situation in the Middle East, but the new venue is hardly a downgrade. The site has hosted Paris Games Week since 2010 and served as the largest venue at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, so it knows how to put on a show.
Seven weeks, 24 games, one club champion
The numbers behind the Esports World Cup are the kind that make traditional sport sit up. More than 2,000 players and over 200 clubs from upwards of 100 countries will compete across 25 tournaments in 24 games. The format is the part that sets it apart, a cross-game club championship where organisations rack up points across every title rather than chasing a single trophy.
If you want a sense of the reach, the 2025 edition pulled in more than 750 million viewers and 350 million hours watched. This year stretches across seven weeks and every major genre you can name, from first-person shooters and MOBAs to fighting games, battle royales, racing, and, yes, Chess.
The Esports World Cup was established in 2023 by the Esports Foundation, building on the earlier Gamers8 festival, and is led by chief executive Ralf Reichert. Three years on, it is the largest esports event in the world by prize money and number of titles.
The full Esports World Cup 2026 schedule
Here is how the seven weeks shake out in Paris.
| Week | Tournament | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apex Legends (ALGS Year 6 Split 1 Playoffs) | 7–11 July |
| 1 | Dota 2 | 7–12 July |
| 1 | FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves | 8–11 July |
| 1 | VALORANT | 9–12 July |
| 2 | Dota 2 | 14–19 July |
| 2 | Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational (MWI) | 14–18 July |
| 2 | Free Fire | 15–18 July |
| 2 | League of Legends | 15–19 July |
| 3 | PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS | 21–26 July |
| 3 | Teamfight Tactics | 21–25 July |
| 3 | FC Pro World Championship | 22–26 July |
| 3 | Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup | 22–26 July |
| 4 | OWCS Midseason Championship (Overwatch 2) | 29 July–2 August |
| 4 | Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup | 29 July–1 August |
| 4 | Street Fighter 6 | 29 July–1 August |
| 4 | Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence Series Championship | 30 July–2 August |
| 5 | Honor of Kings World Cup | 4–8 August |
| 5 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | 5–9 August |
| 5 | TEKKEN 8 | 5–8 August |
| 5 | PUBG Mobile World Cup (Week 1) | 6–9 August |
| 6 | Chess | 11–15 August |
| 6 | PUBG Mobile World Cup (Week 2) | 11–16 August |
| 6 | Rocket League | 12–16 August |
| 6 | Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege | 12–15 August |
| 7 | CROSSFIRE | 18–22 August |
| 7 | Trackmania | 19–22 August |
| 7 | Fortnite Reload Elite Series Championship | 19–22 August |
| 7 | Counter-Strike 2 | 19–23 August |
The closing weekend is built around the marquee titles, with Final Day seating zones set aside for VALORANT, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Counter-Strike 2.
Players get a vote: the partnership locked in to 2028
The move to Paris also marks the debut of a new accolade, and one with a twist. On 18 June, the Esports Awards and the Esports Foundation extended their partnership through 2028 and announced the EWC Players’ Choice Award, decided entirely by the people who actually play.
Peer-voted recognition is rare in esports, where awards usually come down to fan polls or industry panels. This one hands the decision to the professionals. Competitors attending the Esports World Cup in Paris will vote in person, while other eligible players and clubs cast their votes through a secure digital platform run by the Esports Awards.
To keep it honest, there are rules. Voters must have competed in at least one qualifying S, A or B-Tier tournament during the official competitive season, and nobody can vote for themselves or a teammate. The Esports Awards oversees the whole process, and the winner is announced at its ceremony later this year.
The relationship goes back to June 2024, when the awards ceremony relocated to Riyadh to line up with the first Esports World Cup. The three-year extension, announced in London, carries it through 2028.
“The Esports Foundation has done an incredible job in generating mainstream attention and industry exposure outside of the standard circuit,” said Michael Ashford, chief executive of the Esports Awards. He added that the partnership had let the awards expand their operations and footprint, and said he hoped the collaboration would reach a wider global audience and lift the industry’s visibility year-round.
There is movement on the awards front too. The 2026 Esports Awards ceremony will be held in North America, the start of a rotating host-city model aimed at destinations the show has not visited before. A city and venue are still to be confirmed. Previous ceremonies, including the 2024 show and the 2025 Decade Awards that marked the show’s tenth anniversary, were staged in Riyadh as part of the Esports World Cup programme.
For now, all eyes are on Paris. Seven weeks, 24 games, $75 million, and for the first time, a trophy the players choose themselves.
FAQ
When and where is the Esports World Cup 2026?
The Esports World Cup 2026 runs from 6 July to 23 August at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, the first time the event has been held outside Riyadh.
How big is the Esports World Cup 2026 prize pool?
It is a record $75 million, up from $71.5 million in 2025, making it the largest esports event in the world by prize money.
How many games are at the Esports World Cup 2026?
More than 2,000 players and over 200 clubs compete across 25 tournaments in 24 games, scored as a cross-game club championship rather than a race for a single trophy.
What is the EWC Players’ Choice Award?
A new award voted for entirely by professional players. Competitors in Paris vote in person and other eligible players vote through a secure platform run by the Esports Awards, with rules preventing self-voting or voting for a teammate.