'North Of 686 Crore'! Esports World Cup 2026 To Feature Record-Breaking Prize Pool, Chess Returns

Last Updated:January 22, 2026, 14:32 IST

EWC returns to Riyadh July 6 - August 23, 2026; over 2000 players and 200 clubs from more than 100 countries to compete in 24 games

Nihal Sarin. (EWC)

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) today unveiled a prize pool of $75 million, the complete game lineup, and schedule for the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC), the world’s largest esports event, which will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 6 to August 23. Over 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from more than 100 countries will compete in 25 tournaments across 24 games over seven weeks to determine the next Esports World Cup Club Champion.

The unprecedented prize pool underscores the EWC’s status as a premier sporting event and a pivotal multi-title competition in the global esports landscape. Now in its third year, the EWC continues to deliver at scale through a well-established, cross-game format, bringing together the world’s best players, Clubs, and games, along with a global community of fans, all united by a shared calendar that sets the pace for the global esports season.

“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 unique due to the Club Championship. One title crowns a champion. EWC crowns the ultimate cross-game Club Champion."

In 2026, the EWC Club Championship, the EWC’s flagship cross-game competition, will award $30 million (approx INR 274 crore) to the top 24 Clubs, an increase of $3 million year-on-year. The winning Club will receive $7 million (approx INR 64 crore), with higher prize allocations spread across the other top finishing positions. Last year’s Club Championship title was decided in the final week of competition, with seven Clubs still in contention as the event neared its conclusion.

Individual Game Championships will each have their own prize pools, with combined allocations exceeding $39 million (approx INR 357 crore). The rest of the prize pool will be distributed through a combination of Club and Player Awards, including MVP awards for each tournament and the Jafonso Award for players or Clubs that win a Game Championship after advancing from a Last Chance Qualifier, as well as qualifying events hosted by partnered publishers and organisers leading up to the EWC 2026 main event in Riyadh.

In addition to the prize pool, EWCF will maintain its ecosystem support programmes, including the EWCF Club Partner Program and the Road to EWC qualification system. The 2026 Club Partner Program will again support 40 top global esports organisations, while publisher-led circuits, tournaments, and grassroots events will provide the foundation for the Road to EWC, offering more players and Clubs defined pathways to qualify for the competition in Riyadh.

Twenty-four competitive titles, including new additions Fortnite and Trackmania, will showcase the best Clubs, players, and talent the esports world has to offer on stage at EWC 2026 in Riyadh this summer. The EWC 2026 game lineup features: 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.

Indian grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin participated in the inaugural EWC chess event; this year’s edition will feature a $1.5 million prize pool and is scheduled for August 11-15.

EWC 2026 competitions will be held over seven weeks across multiple arenas, allowing several game championships to occur simultaneously with a coordinated, multi-venue schedule designed to enhance fan experience and viewership.

Tickets for EWC 2026 will be available starting January 22, 2026, at esportsworldcup.com, as well as through EWC 2026 international ticketing partners: Webook, India, Damai, and Tixr. Early Bird tickets will include Weekly Access Passes, Premium Tournament Passes, and Hospitality Packages for the Esports Embassy, the EWC’s premium on-site hospitality destination.

This announcement builds on the success of the Esports World Cup 2025. In its second year, EWC reached 750 million viewers worldwide and generated 350 million hours watched, with peak concurrent viewership of 7.98 million during the League of Legends at EWC 2025 tournament. Coverage was delivered across 28 platforms through 97 broadcast partners and more than 800 channels in 35 languages. Twenty-five tournaments spanning 24 games featured over 2,000 players representing approximately 200 Clubs from over 100 countries. In Riyadh, the EWC and its Festival welcomed more than 3 million visitors over the seven-week event.

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