Esports World Cup relocating from Saudi Arabia to Paris: Report

Because of ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the 2026 Esports World Cup is expected to be held in Paris, France, instead of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

GamesBeat reports that event organizers have announced France will host the event in 2026.

According to three people familiar with the Esports World Cup’s plans, who spoke to GamesBeat on condition of anonymity, the event has been communicating with those involved.

Similar to past events, the Esports World Cup’s third edition was initially planned for July and August 2026 in Riyadh.

So, the folks running the Esports World Cup, or EWC, always planned to expand to other cities and basically charge them for the privilege of hosting events – another way to bring in money. I’m not sure if Paris is actually paying a fee to host the 2026 competition, though. It’s a bit of a mystery!

It seems the event is being moved to Paris because airlines are canceling flights to the Middle East due to safety worries. This move was probably made to ensure the competition isn’t disrupted.

Esports teams worldwide will battle it out for a massive $75 million prize. The competition will feature 24 different games, including popular titles like Overwatch, Valorant, CS2, chess, and League of Legends.

So far, the Esports World Cup has yet to issue a statement on the reported relocation to Paris.

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2026-05-14 20:48