The 2026 Esports World Cup is moving from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to Paris, France due to conflicts in the Middle East.

On May 20, the Esports World Cup officially confirmed that the event would be taking place in Paris for the 2026 iteration after being originally set to take place between July and August 2026 in Riyadh.

“Following an extended evaluation process in light of the current regional situation, the Esports Foundation decided to accelerate that international rotation for the 2026 edition,” the event announced.

“Our EWC fans are at the heart of everything we do, and 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.”

Esports World Cup

The EWC had intended to eventually move to other cities and charge them a hosting fee as another way to make revenue, so it was only a matter of time before the event moved on from Saudi Arabia anyway.

“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,” Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation said.

“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.”

French President Emmanuel Macron also responded to the news with glee, calling it an “honor.”

“Thank you to Saudi Arabia for its trust. We are ready to organize this 2026 e-sports [sic] World Cup. Very proud to welcome the world again,” he remarked.

Esports teams from across the globe are set to compete for a $75M prize pool. In total, 24 different esports titles will be represented including Overwatch, Valorant, CS2, chess, and League of Legends.