ESPORTS WORLD CUP FOUNDATION (EWCF) has announced a total prize pool of $75 million, alongside the full game line-up and competition schedule for the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC), which will return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 6 July to 23 August.
More than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs representing over 100 countries will compete across 25 tournaments spanning 24 games over a seven-week period, culminating in the crowning of the next Esports World Cup Club Champion.
The record-breaking prize pool underlines the continued evolution of the EWC as a flagship global sporting event and the world’s leading multi-title esports competition. Now delivered at scale for a third consecutive year, the cross-game format brings together elite players, top Clubs, publishers and a global fanbase through a unified calendar that helps shape the rhythm of the international esports season, according to the media release.
In 2026, the EWC Club Championship will distribute $30 million among the top 24 Clubs, marking a year-on-year increase of $3 million. The overall champion will receive $7 million, with enhanced prize allocations extending further down the final standings.
Individual Game Championships will each feature dedicated prize pools, with combined allocations exceeding $39 million. The remaining prize money will be awarded through a mix of Club and Player incentives, including MVP honours for every tournament and the Jafonso Award, which recognises players or Clubs that secure a Game Championship after progressing through a Last Chance Qualifier. Additional prize funding will also be distributed via qualifying events organised by partnered publishers and tournament operators ahead of the main event in Riyadh.
Beyond prize money, EWCF will continue to invest in ecosystem development through initiatives such as the EWCF Club Partner Program and the Road to EWC qualification system. The 2026 Club Partner Program will once again support 40 leading global esports organisations, while publisher-led circuits, regional tournaments and grassroots competitions will form the backbone of the Road to EWC, offering clear qualification pathways for players and Clubs.
The EWC 2026 game line-up 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.
The announcement builds on the momentum of the EWC 2025. In its second edition, the event reached a global audience of 750 million viewers, generating 350 million hours watched, with a peak concurrent viewership of 7.98 million during the League of Legends tournament. Coverage spanned 28 platforms via 97 broadcast partners and more than 800 channels in 35 languages. In Riyadh, the EWC and its accompanying festival attracted over 3 million visitors across the seven-week event.
EWCF CEO Ralf Reichert said, “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. EWC is different because of the Club Championship. One title crowns a champion. EWC crowns the ultimate cross-game Club Champion.”
