Overview
- The Esports Foundation announced Wednesday that the 2026 Esports World Cup will be held in Paris from July 6 through August 23, 2026.
- EF said the decision followed an extended review and was made in light of regional instability to provide safety and certainty for players, clubs, partners and fans.
- Organizers confirmed the tournament will retain its scale and format with more than 2,000 players, 200 clubs from over 100 countries, 24 games across 25 tournaments and a prize pool exceeding $75 million.
- French president Emmanuel Macron publicly welcomed France’s readiness to host and EF said exact Paris venues and ticketing details will be released in the coming weeks with direct contact to clubs, players and ticket holders.
- Riyadh hosted the first two editions in 2024 and 2025 and helped build EWC’s global audience, so the move to Paris will reshape the event’s commercial and diplomatic ties and could influence where other major events are staged if regional tensions continue.