Paris Hosts 2026 Esports World Cup Counter‑Strike Tournament

Paris will host the Esports World Cup (EWC) for Counter‑Strike 2 from 12 to 23 August 2026. The event will feature 32 teams competing for a total prize pool of US$2 million (about R$10 million) and will culminate with the grand final at the Accor Arena, the same venue that hosted the BLAST.tv Paris Major in 2023.

In conjunction with the tournament, the Champs‑Élysées was transformed into a free Esports Festival, the largest public gaming celebration in France. The street‑level event showcased live matches of titles such as Trackmania, Rocket League and EA SPORTS FC 26, and included performances by musicians Bigflo & Oli and appearances by prominent French streamers and presenters, including Doigby and Kayané. French esports figures Neo (co‑founder and CEO of Team Vitality), Kameto (president of Karmine Corp) and other founders of leading European teams took part, highlighting the growing integration of gaming, music and pop culture in the city.