Paris to Host 2026 Esports World Cup with $75 Million Prize Pool

Paris will stage the 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC) from 6 July to 23 August, attracting around 2,000 cyber‑athletes representing 200 clubs from about 100 countries. The tournament, originally slated for Riyadh and backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, was relocated to France after the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

The event will be held primarily at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre and will be broadcast daily by France Télévisions, with a prime‑time “minute EWC” slot on France 4 and repeat coverage on France 2. The competition features 25 major tournaments across 24 games, including League of Legends, Dota 2, Valorant, Rocket League and Tekken, and offers a total prize pool of US$75 million. French officials, including President Emmanuel Macron, Sports Minister Marina Ferrari and Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, have endorsed the event, while Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan will attend as a Saudi representative.