.jpg?width=54&quality=10&blur=40)
The Esports World Cup 2026 will be the third edition of the Esports World Cup, a multi-games esports tournament held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, hosted by the Esports World Cup Foundation and the ESL FACEIT Group. It's the continuation of the now-extinct Gamers8 which was celebrated in 2022 and 2023.
It's important to not confuse the Esports World Cup with the Esports Nations Cup. While the first involves esports organizations, the second will involve countries. The first edition of the Esports Nations Cup will be played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2026.
Across the last two years, the Esports World Cup has become the most ambitious esports project in the industry. In last year's edition, over USD$70M in prize pool money was distributed across teams, including team and individual prizes as well as the Esports World Cup Program.
Keep on reading to know more about the Esports World Cup and its upcoming edition, the Esports World Cup 2026:
When will the Esports World Cup 2026 be played?
The Esports World Cup 2026 will be celebrated between July 6, 2026, and August 23, 2026.
The time chosen to play the Esports World Cup isn't a coincidence. It's the most practical time for the tournaments to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at least from a competitive angle as most of the world championships aren't playing at that time.
For instance, Rainbow Six Siege X's Six Invitational is played in February, League of Legends' Worlds takes place in October and November, Valorant's Champions in September and October, or Apex Legends' ALGS Championship in January.
However, it's fair to say this isn't the most convenient moment to celebrate the event from a fan point of view, as temperatures often hit the 42 and 45 degrees (Celsius) and humidity in the city is extremely high.
What titles have been included in the Esports World Cup 2026?
The Esports World Cup 2026 will include 24 different esports titles. These include multiple genres, from shooters to MOBAs, fighting games, and even chess.
Here are all of the esports titles that have been confirmed to feature in the Esports World Cup 2026:
- Apex Legends
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- Chess
- Counter Strike 2
- Crossfire
- Dota 2
- EAFC 26
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Free Fire
- Honor of Kings
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Overwatch 2
- PUBG Battlegrounds
- PUBG Mobile
- Rainbow Six Siege X
- Street Fighter
- Teamfight Tactics
- VALORANT
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
How will the Esports World Cup 2026 work?
Each esports competition will work independently with their own qualifying system. While dates have only been assigned for a handful of competitions, each tournament will have its own week as fans will be able to follow not only their preferred competition but others being played in the venue.
Looking at previous years, we expect titles to use two qualifying systems: through exclusively dedicated Esports World Cup qualifiers or through regional leagues. The first one makes the most sense as teams play to qualify for the event. However, the second one has also been used multiple times, integrating the Esports World Cup in esports regional leagues as a reward for teams that perform well.
For instance, last year's League of Legends Esports World Cup included the teams that performed the best from each regional stage. In the case of Europe, Movistar KOI and G2 Esports represented the LEC after finishing in first and second place, respectively, in the LEC 2025 Spring.
Another example is VALORANT, which saw the best three teams from each region qualifying for the Esports World Cup 2025. However, each region also had its own Esports World Cup qualifier.
While the prize pools haven't been unveiled yet, we expect astronomical figures once again. Each tournament included prize pools of between USD$500,000 and USD$3M. However, teams would also fight for EWC Points to climb up the Esports World Club Championship. Let's have a look at that:
Esports World Cup 2026 Club Championship
The Esports World Cup 2026 Club Championship is the backbone of the Esports World Cup. Almost half of the total prize pool of the Esports World Cup is concentrated here and it rewards teams for their consistency and results in individual esports titles celebrated across the edition.
The total prize pool of the Esports World Cup 2026 Club Championship hasn't been unveiled yet. However, in 2024 and 2025, the total prize pool was USD$20M and USD$27M, respectively.
Historically, Team Falcons have been the most successful esports organization in the Esports World Cup Club Championship as they won the editions held in 2024 and 2025. It's also worth mentioning Team Vitality and Team Liquid, as the Blue Cavalry achieved back-to-back second-place finishes, while the Bees finished in fourth and third place in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
We expect more details to be unveiled in the near future. We will update this guide once more information is made official.
Esports World Cup 2026 Club Program
On November 18, 2026, the Esports World Cup Foundation opened applications for the Esports World Cup 2026 Club Program, which will see the EWCF continue to invest in the esports industry.
Through the 2026 Program, EWCF will continue to invest $20 million into the global esports ecosystem to support 40 leading Clubs in growing their audiences and brands, driving sustainable growth in the industry. Participating Clubs receive six-figure funding, priority access to the EWCF Superfan Program, and year-round collaboration opportunities to strengthen fan engagement and brand storytelling leading up to and during the Esports World Cup 2026 - EWCF's official statement released on Nov. 18.
The Esports World Cup 2026 Club Program will include 40 teams. The eight-highest placed teams in the Esports World Cup 2025 Club Championship will receive direct invitations, including Team Falcons, Team Liquid, Team Vitality, Twisted Minds, Virtus.pro, All Gamers, Gen.G Esports, and Weibo Gaming. Therefore, out of all of the applications the EWCF will receive in the upcoming weeks, they will end up accepting 32 teams more to the Esports World Cup 2026 Program.
Here are the requirements set by the EWCF:
We are looking for global organizations with strong brand equity and engaged fan communities that are ready to work with us to co-design, activate, and monetize new revenue streams. Annual re-application is required for all participating Clubs going forward.
The 2026 EWCF Club Partner Program will focus on Clubs around the world that show high levels of fan engagement and creative excellence. Through this partnership, the EWCF and the participating Clubs will jointly invest to tell the EWC 2026 stories. Partnered Clubs are expected to have an established track record of elite competitive performance across multiple games, as well as a substantial social media presence with the ability to engage and grow a global fanbase. Participating Clubs will be able to access the Program funding by engaging their fanbase with their brands throughout the esports year - so fans can follow storylines leading up to the Esports World Cup, watch tournaments online, and experience live matches during the season.
As part of the Club Partner Program, EWCF has developed a series of initiatives that bring Clubs and fans closer together. Starting in 2025, this included the Super Fan Program, which brought nearly 2,000 fans from around the world to Riyadh to support their favorite Clubs live at the Esports World Cup. The Super Fan Program is designed to recognize and reward the most dedicated supporters and turn their passion into on-site support for Clubs and players on the global stage. In 2026, participating Clubs can expect an even bigger Super Fan Program with co-branded campaigns that help them identify, activate, and reward their top fans across digital channels and live events.
We invite Clubs from all over the world to apply, as we continue to grow esports globally, with a focus on key esports regions, including India, China, Southeast Asia, and LATAM.
Esports organizations will have between November 18 and December 18 to send their applications, which will be considered by the EWCF during December 2025. After that, the selection will be done before January 30, 2026. For more information, check out the EWCF official statement here.
Stick with us here at Gfinityesports.com, the best website for all things about esports competitions and the esports industry.