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Publication date: 4 November 2025
The EWC is the first edition of the Esports World Cup, which replaces the Gamers8 Festival organized by the EWC Foundation. This championship is sponsored by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. It will have the largest prize pool in the history of esports, more than $60 million. In addition, there will be rewards for participating teams at EWC events and valuable awards for players.
2026 EWC
The Esports World Cup will feature 22 tournaments in 21 different disciplines. The event itself will take place from July 6 to August 23 in the Boulevard Riyadh area, in four separate Esports arenas totaling 645,000 square feet.
30 teams from five major competition regions – Europe, North America, Asia, South America and the Middle East – will participate. Most are based in Europe or North America.
Participating Teams
| Region | Team name |
| Europe | Fnatic, G2 Esports, Guild Esports, Karmine Corp, KOI, OG, Natus Vincere, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team Liquid, Team Secret, Team Vitality, Tundra Esports, Virtus.pro |
| North America | 100 Thieves, Cloud9, FaZe Clan, Gaimin Gladiators, NRG Esports, Spacestation Gaming, TSM |
| South America | Furia Esports, LOUD |
| Asia | Blacklist International, LGD Gaming, Gen.G Esports, T1, Talon Esports, Weibo Gaming Team |
| Middle East | Team Falcons, Twisted Minds |
History of the Championship’s Creation
In October 2023, Saudi Arabia announced the world’s first esports championship. It replaced the existing Gamers8 festival organized by the Saudi Esports Federation. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman proposed the idea of this championship in order to diversify the country’s economy and reduce its dependence on oil.
In February 2024, the first 5 games of the championship were announced. Additional events were added later, the most recent being Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare III.
Currently, there is no information on how often this esports championship will take place.
Keep an eye on the dates of esports tournaments and other events in our Sporting Events Calendar.
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