Esports World Cup 2026 relocated to Paris after attacks

Organizers confirmed the Esports World Cup 2026 will take place in Paris from July 6 to Aug. 23, relocating from Saudi Arabia after repeated drone attacks struck Riyadh and King Khalid International Airport.

The event is organized by ESL FACEIT Group on behalf of the Esports World Cup Foundation. Organizers initially denied venue reports on social media and later removed those posts, which added to weeks of public uncertainty about whether the festival would be canceled or moved.

Paris La Défense Arena has been chosen to stage matches and public showcases. The venue has hosted major esports events before and is scheduled to host Rocket League and Call of Duty League Majors in May and June ahead of the World Cup.

The festival will offer a $75,000,000 prize pool distributed across 21 disciplines covering leading PC, console and mobile titles. The program is planned as a multi-week series of competitions and fan events running from early July through late August.

The relocation follows a period of security incidents in the region. Riyadh and the nearby airport were repeatedly targeted by drone strikes attributed to Iran, prompting safety concerns among teams, sponsors and attendees.

This edition will be the third Esports World Cup and the first held outside Saudi Arabia. Organizers reported that the second festival recorded year-over-year growth of roughly 45–52% in both overall viewership and total media exposure compared with the inaugural event.

Organizers have not released detailed schedules for each game or the full list of participating titles and teams. They say the event will include major competitions across top esports categories and plans for fan programming at the Paris venue throughout the tournament period.