The Esports World Cup Foundation announced the launch of the 2026 Esports World Cup in the French capital, Paris, marking the first edition of the tournament to be held outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The tournament, considered the largest global event in the esports sector, will take place at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles and will run until 23 August 2026. It will feature more than 2,000 male and female players and 200 clubs from over 100 countries, competing across 25 tournaments in 24 of the world’s most popular games and esports titles, with participants competing for a share of a record total prize pool of $75 million.

The move of the Esports World Cup to Paris represents a new phase in its global expansion journey, as the French capital is regarded as one of the world’s leading cities in sports, culture, and the hosting of major international events.

This step reflects the Esports World Cup Foundation’s vision of developing its tournaments as global platforms that move between cities, bring together the international esports ecosystem, and contribute to strengthening the position of competitive esports as a modern global sport.

The opening press conference for the tournament was held at Paris City Hall, known as Hôtel de Ville, in a move that reflects the city’s official welcome to the global esports community and highlights the growing role of competitive esports within the sports, culture, and entertainment sectors.

The conference began with an opening speech delivered by Emmanuel Grégoire, Mayor of Paris, followed by remarks from the official speakers, including Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Board Member of the Esports World Cup Foundation and Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, Marina Ferrari, France’s Minister for Sports, Youth, and Community Life, and Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.

Broadcast channels for the Esports World Cup in Paris

Fans in more than 160 countries will be able to follow the Esports World Cup competitions live through more than 100 television and digital broadcast partners, on demand streaming platforms, and digital services, with more than 7,000 hours of live programming produced throughout the tournament.

Coverage will be available in more than 40 languages, enabling the 2026 Esports World Cup to reach audiences around the world through international broadcasts, regional partners, and the platforms where esports fans follow their content.

The broadcast of the 2026 Esports World Cup will be distributed through a growing and diverse network of leading global media partners, including DAZN, FOX Sports, France Télévisions, TV5 Monde, L’Équipe, Eurosport, HBO Max, CBS Sports Network, and Thmanyah, alongside leading regional and digital platforms across Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

In China, the 2026 Esports World Cup will be available across major platforms, including Kuaishou, Bilibili, Huya, Douyu, and Douyin, in addition to Tencent Video as a new video on demand content partner in China, and MangoTV for the international distribution of video on demand content.

As part of expanding the global reach of the Esports World Cup, more than 5,000 accredited content creators will help amplify the tournament’s reach through the industry leading Creator Program, bringing the competitions to more communities, languages, and platforms than ever before.

The program’s annual growth of 42% reflects the way esports audiences follow competitions today, combining global broadcasts, local voices, creator led communities, and shared digital experiences, giving fans more options to watch and engage with the competitions.

25 tournaments across 24 of the leading esports titles

The 2026 Esports World Cup is supported by a group of global partners, including stc Group, Qiddiya City, Lenovo, Sony Group, Allianz, Aramco, Saudia Airlines, Hilton, Upspot, AlBaik, Secretlab, Webook, and NRG.

The event will feature 25 tournaments across 24 of the world’s leading esports titles, including Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, Counter Strike 2, Crossfire, Dota 2, EA SPORTS FC 26, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Fortnite, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Overwatch 2, PUBG MOBILE, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Rainbow Six Siege X, Rocket League, Street Fighter 6, Teamfight Tactics, Tekken 8, Trackmania, and VALORANT.

With 3.6 billion players worldwide, gaming has become a global language that connects people across continents, cultures, and communities. The Esports World Cup gives this community its premier annual competition and provides a shared platform where the world’s best players, clubs, and games come together to help shape the future of esports.