The Esports World Cup will reportedly move to Paris from Riyadh
Key takeaways
- Esports World Cup This summer's Esports World Cup will be held in Paris, France, rather than its originally scheduled location of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, due to the war in the Middle East, Games Beat reports.
- The 2026 EWC is scheduled to kick off in July and run through August, with a total prize pool of more than $75 million.
- The tournament's reported move to Paris comes during a period of renewed chaos in the Middle East, as the United States and Israel perpetuate their war with Iran.
Esports World Cup This summer's Esports World Cup will be held in Paris, France, rather than its originally scheduled location of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, due to the war in the Middle East, Games Beat reports. According to the site, EWC organizers are telling stakeholders behind the scenes that the tournament will be moved to Paris this year, though there's been no public confirmation of the change. Rumors of a location swap have been swirling for days.
The 2026 EWC is scheduled to kick off in July and run through August, with a total prize pool of more than $75 million. It covers major titles including Valorant, League of Legends, Dota 2, Street Fighter 6, Overwatch, Rocket League, Trackmania, Counter-Strike 2, Call of Duty and Fortnite. The 2025 edition in Riyadh attracted more than 3 million fans to the city, plus over 2,500 esports players and support staff.
The tournament's reported move to Paris comes during a period of renewed chaos in the Middle East, as the United States and Israel perpetuate their war with Iran. With active bombing campaigns and the looming threat of a catastrophic attack, many airlines are cancelling flights to the region, while locals are living with rage, fear and insecurity.