EWC 2026 swaps Riyadh for Paris citing the "current regional situation"

The Esports World Cup has officially confirmed that it will move to Paris, France, in July, relocating away from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the 2026 edition.

Announced by social media and accompanying blog post on May 20, The EWC 2026 will travel to Paris for its full nearly two-month duration between July and August.

The Esports World Cup 2026 heads to Paris, France due to regional situation around Saudi Arabia

The reveal confirmed earlier reports from last week and previous rumors that the event would be moved in light of the conflict between the US and Iran which plunged the Arabian peninsula into turmoil earlier this year.

The unveiling of the Paris event, which was also announced by French President Emmanuel Macron on X/Twitter, confirmed this reasoning. In their accompanying blog post, the EWC stated that the move to France was due to the “current regional situation.”

The event’s organizers further stated that “we wanted to make sure that you and the Players, Clubs and Teams were offered clarity and stability you need to plan your event attendance and travel plans.”

Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation, the Saudi Arabian non-profit behind the EWC commented on the move:

“Riyadh helped turn the Esports World Cup into a global phenomenon,”

“This year, we’re excited to bring EWC to Paris for its first edition outside Saudi Arabia. Paris has hosted some of the world’s biggest sporting events and is one of the great global capitals of sport, culture and entertainment. Together with the passion of French fans and the strong support we’ve received locally, we’re excited to bring the global esports community there for the next chapter of EWC. Paris now becomes the first international chapter in EWC history.”

The move brings the largest esports event in the world, and all its constituent games, to the French capital. For many titles, such as League of Legends and Counter-Strike, this is a return to familiar ground.

The BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 was a historic event, with French side Team Vitality lifting the trophy in front of their hometown crowd, just a few miles from their Paris HQ.

In 2024, Paris held the Knockout Stage of the 2024 World Championship of League of Legends, with the likes of T1, Gen.G and Bilibili Gaming clashing on stage.

For Dota 2, the game has barely traveled to the city. The last time a top-flight event took place there was in 2019, when the MDL Disneyland Paris Major took place, crowning Team Secret champions.

The move, perhaps, is less of a surprise for President Macron, who in 2023 declared that he wanted France to be "a very great nation of e-sport [sic]."

The Esports World Cup will run officially between July 6, 2026, and Aug. 23. With 24 titles across 25 competitions, and a $75 million dollar combined prize pool, by most measures, it’s the largest combined esports event on the calendar. Tickets will reportedly go on sale in the coming weeks, with additional details about the venues, fan experience, schedule, and more expected soon.