Paris will host the cream of the video game crop. The 2026 edition of the Esports World Cup, the world’s largest video game tournament originally planned in Saudi Arabia but relocated due to the Middle East war, will take place in Paris this summer, from July 6 to August 23, the organizers announced on Wednesday.
The announcement was praised by French President Emmanuel Macron on Twitter: “The EWC will be held in Paris! It is an honor for us. Thank you to Saudi Arabia for their trust. We are ready to organize this e-sports World Cup 2026. Very proud to welcome the world anew,” he congratulated.
During the seven weeks of competition in Paris, the 2026 e-sports World Cup will bring together over 2,000 professional players from 200 international clubs representing more than 100 countries, as stated on the Elysée website. The event will take advantage of the remarkable infrastructure of Paris and its region, mobilizing the sectors of tourism, hospitality, retail, and culture.
The three French clubs that have qualified for the highest international level, Team Vitality, Gentle Mates, and Karmine Corps, will defend the national colors in front of their audience. Esports gathers over 12 million players in France and is one of the most dynamic expressions of digital culture among youth in France and Europe, according to the French presidency website.
Paris, the epicenter of the esports world for seven weeks
Created in 2024, the EWC has become a major event on the global esport calendar. The event gathers more than 2,000 players from about 200 clubs worldwide for competitions on around twenty different games. The first two editions took place in Saudi Arabia, a country that has become a central player in the sector in recent years.
“Originally, the 2026 edition was supposed to take place in Riyadh. But the regional conflict raised serious doubts about our ability to ensure that players could reach the region within the stipulated deadlines,” explained Ralf Reichert, head of the Esports Foundation, to AFP.
For its third season, the organizers preferred to find another location to host the event this summer and turned to Paris, which will become the epicenter of the esports world for seven weeks during the summer (July 6-August 23).
The French capital has the advantage of having numerous infrastructures, institutional support, not to mention the prestige associated with its name, Reichert pointed out. “Paris is a unique city. Paris, for many reasons, is one of the essential capitals, not only for tourism but also for sports, culture, and entertainment in the world.”
“All of this, combined with the French esports fans, who are renowned worldwide for being exceptional… It is the combination of all these elements that motivated our decision.”
Tournaments of multiple video games
The EWC stands out from most other esports competitions by bringing together tournaments of several video games. “This brings together the entire video game industry. It is therefore a bit different from traditional tournaments in terms of scale and scope,” added Ralf Reichert.
Twenty-five different competitions will take place during the event with reference games in esports such as League of Legends, Dota2, Valorant, Rocket League, and Counter-Strike… “All things considered, it is a bit like the Olympics of esports, except that it is a competition by clubs and not by nations,” explained Nicolas Besombes, an esports sociologist, to AFP.
