The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has announced a record-breaking prize pool of $75 million, along with the complete game lineup and competition schedule for the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC). Set to return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 6 through August 23, 2026, the event will bring together more than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries, competing across 25 tournaments spanning 24 games over seven weeks.
The expanded, life-changing prize pool further cements the Esports World Cup’s position as the defining event on the global esports calendar. Designed as a multi-title, cross-game competition, EWC has evolved into a premier sporting property that sets the rhythm for the global esports season, rewarding excellence at both the player and Club levels.
“The life-changing prize pool exists to support the people at the heart of esports: the players and the Clubs that invest in them year after year,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “EWC is different because of the Club Championship. One title crowns a champion. EWC crowns the ultimate cross-game Club Champion.”
At the centre of the competition is the EWC Club Championship, the event’s flagship cross-game format, which will award $30 million to the top 24 Clubs—an increase of $3 million year-on-year. The winning Club will take home $7 million, with enhanced prize distributions across the remaining top finishers. In 2025, the Club Championship was decided only in the final week, with seven Clubs still in contention, underscoring the intensity and depth of the format.
Beyond the Club Championship, Individual Game Championships will carry combined prize allocations exceeding $39 million. The remaining prize money will be distributed through Club and Player Awards, including MVP awards for each tournament and the Jafonso Award, which recognises players or Clubs that secure a Game Championship after advancing from a Last Chance Qualifier. Additional prize allocations will flow through qualifying events hosted by partnered publishers and organisers in the lead-up to the main event in Riyadh.
EWCF will also continue its ecosystem-wide support initiatives, including the EWCF Club Partner Program and the Road to EWC qualification system. In 2026, the Club Partner Program will once again support 40 leading global esports organisations, while publisher-led circuits, tournaments, and grassroots competitions will provide structured pathways for players and Clubs to qualify for the World Cup.
The EWC 2026 game lineup spans 24 competitive titles, including new additions Fortnite and Trackmania, alongside established global esports franchises. The full lineup includes: Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, Counter-Strike 2, Crossfire, Dota 2, EA Sports FC 26, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, Fortnite, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Overwatch 2, PUBG: Battlegrounds, PUBG Mobile, Rocket League, Street Fighter 6, Teamfight Tactics, TEKKEN 8, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege X, Trackmania, and VALORANT.
Competitions will be staged across multiple arenas over seven weeks, with a coordinated, multi-venue schedule allowing several championships to run in parallel, enhancing both fan experience and global viewership.
Tickets for EWC 2026 go on sale starting January 22, 2026, via esportsworldcup.com and international ticketing partners including Webook (India), Damai, and Tixr. Early Bird offerings include Weekly Access Passes, Premium Tournament Passes, and Hospitality Packages for the Esports Embassy, the event’s premium on-site hospitality experience.
The announcement builds on the strong momentum of Esports World Cup 2025, which reached 750 million viewers worldwide, generated 350 million hours watched, and recorded a peak concurrent viewership of 7.98 million during the League of Legends tournament. The seven-week event featured 25 tournaments across 24 games and welcomed more than 3 million visitors to Riyadh, reinforcing EWC’s growing global scale and cultural impact.
