The Esports World Cup 2026 brings together more than 2,000 players and over 200 Clubs across 25 tournaments and 24 games, all feeding into a single cross-game Club Championship. After two editions in Riyadh, the third running of the event shifts to Paris, France, citing the current regional situation, and it stretches across seven weeks from early July into late August.
Quick answer: The Esports World Cup 2026 runs from July 6 to August 23 in Paris, France, with a total prize pool of $75 million split between 25 game championships, the EWC Club Championship, MVP awards, and qualifier rewards.
Esports World Cup 2026 dates, location, and prize pool
The competition opens on July 6 and closes on August 23. It keeps the multi-week festival format that lets each game take its own spotlight while results roll up into the season-long Club race. The move to Paris is the headline change for 2026, breaking from the Riyadh editions held in 2024 and 2025.
The total prize pool sits at $75 million, up from $70 million the year before. Of that, the EWC Club Championship carries $30 million, an increase of $3 million year over year. The individual Game Championships together exceed $39 million, with the remainder spread across MVP awards, the Jafonso Award, and qualifying events run by partnered publishers ahead of the main event.
| Detail | EWC 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | July 6 – August 23, 2026 |
| Location | Paris, France |
| Total prize pool | $75 million |
| Club Championship pool | $30 million (top 24 Clubs) |
| Game Championship pools | $39 million+ combined |
| Tournaments / games | 25 tournaments across 24 games |
| Participants | 2,000+ players, 200+ Clubs |
EWC 2026 Club Championship prize distribution
The Club Championship is what sets the Esports World Cup apart. Instead of crowning a single-title winner, it rewards organizations for consistent results across every game they enter. Points earned in individual tournaments add up, and the top 24 Clubs share the $30 million pool. The winning Club takes home $7 million, with payouts scaling down from there.
| Rank | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $7,000,000 |
| 2 | $5,000,000 |
| 3 | $4,000,000 |
| 4 | $3,000,000 |
| 5 | $2,000,000 |
| 6 | $1,400,000 |
| 7 | $1,150,000 |
| 8 | $950,000 |
| 9 | $800,000 |
| 10 | $650,000 |
| 11 | $550,000 |
| 12 | $500,000 |
| 13 | $450,000 |
| 14 | $400,000 |
| 15 | $350,000 |
| 16 | $300,000 |
| 17 | $275,000 |
| 18 | $250,000 |
| 19 | $225,000 |
| 20 | $200,000 |
| 21 | $175,000 |
| 22 | $150,000 |
| 23 | $125,000 |
| 24 | $100,000 |
Weekly schedule overview
The seven weeks rotate through different genres, with several tournaments overlapping inside each block. The final week is where the headline shooters wrap up and the Club Championship is decided.
| Week | Games |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Valorant, Apex Legends, Dota 2, Fatal Fury |
| Week 2 | League of Legends, Free Fire, Dota 2, MLBB Women’s International |
| Week 3 | EAFC 26 Pro, PUBG: Battlegrounds, MLBB Mid Season Cup, Teamfight Tactics |
| Week 4 | Overwatch, Call of Duty: Warzone, MLBB Mid Season Cup, Street Fighter 6 |
| Week 5 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, PUBG Mobile World Cup, Honor of Kings, Tekken 8 |
| Week 6 | Rocket League, PUBG Mobile World Cup, Chess, Rainbow Six Siege |
| Week 7 | Counter-Strike 2, Fortnite, Trackmania, Crossfire |
Full game schedule and prize pools
Each title runs its own dates and carries its own prize money. Below is the complete breakdown for all 24 games, listed in the order they appear across the calendar.
| Game | Schedule | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Apex Legends | July 7 – 11 | $2,000,000 |
| Dota 2 | July 7 – 19 | $2,000,000 |
| Fatal Fury | July 8 – 11 | $1,000,000 |
| Valorant | July 9 – 12 | $2,000,000 |
| MLBB Women’s International | July 14 – 18 | $500,000 |
| League of Legends | July 15 – 19 | $2,000,000 |
| Free Fire | July 15 – 18 | $1,000,000 |
| Teamfight Tactics | July 21 – 25 | $500,000 |
| PUBG: Battlegrounds | July 21 – 26 | $2,000,000 |
| EAFC 26 | July 22 – 28 | $1,500,000 |
| MLBB Mid Season Cup | July 22 – Aug 1 | $3,000,000 |
| Overwatch | July 29 – Aug 2 | $1,000,000 |
| Street Fighter 6 | July 29 – Aug 1 | $1,000,000 |
| Honor of Kings | Arena of Valor | July 30 – Aug 8 | $3,000,000 |
| Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence Series | July 30 – Aug 2 | $1,000,000 |
| Rainbow Six Siege | Aug 4 – 15 | $2,000,000 |
| Tekken 8 | Aug 5 – 8 | $1,000,000 |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | Aug 5 – 9 | $1,800,000 |
| PUBG Mobile World Cup | Aug 8 – 16 | $3,000,000 |
| Chess | Aug 11 – 15 | $1,500,000 |
| Rocket League | Aug 12 – 16 | $1,000,000 |
| Crossfire | Aug 18 – 22 | $2,000,000 |
| Counter-Strike 2 | Aug 19 – 23 | $2,000,000 |
| Fortnite | Aug 19 – 22 | $1,000,000 |
| Trackmania | Aug 19 – 22 | $500,000 |
What changed for 2026
The lineup adds two new titles and updates one Call of Duty slot, while dropping three games from the previous edition. Fortnite joins for the first time through the Reload Elite Series Championship, and Trackmania makes its debut. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 replaces Black Ops 6, while StarCraft II, Rennsport, and the older Black Ops entry are off the schedule this year.
- Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 each saw their prize pools rise by $750,000, both now at $2 million.
- Dota 2 dropped by $1 million, settling at a $2 million pool.
- The Rainbow Six Siege winner earns a Six Invitational qualification slot on top of the prize money.
Where to watch the EWC 2026 livestream
The main event broadcasts across several official channels, with multiple parallel streams running so overlapping tournaments can each be followed live. You can tune in on the official YouTube channel or on the dedicated Twitch channels listed below.
- twitch.tv/ewc
- twitch.tv/ewc_b
- twitch.tv/ewc_c
- twitch.tv/ewc_d
Tickets, including weekly access passes, premium tournament passes, and hospitality packages, are sold through the official Esports World Cup ticketing page. Results for each game and the Club Championship standings fill in as the seven weeks play out, so the picture of who lifts the trophy comes together in the closing days of August.