Esports World Cup 2026: $75 Million and 24 Games in Paris

The Esports World Cup 2026 is back and bigger than ever: from 6 July to 23 August, the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles hosts a record prize pool of roughly 75 million US dollars. A total of 25 competitions across 24 games make it the longest and richest esports festival ever staged. The venue was relocated from Riyadh to Paris for security reasons; the opening ceremony takes place on 8 July at La Seine Musicale.

For the five titles we follow on TransferGG, the schedule promises a packed summer. Dota 2 opens the festival, while Valorant and League of Legends take the spotlight in mid-July. Counter-Strike 2 closes the tournament from 19 to 23 August – traditionally one of the highlights of the entire event.

What it means for market values: those who deliver here will climb. Big prize money and strong runs on the year's biggest stage feed directly into player valuations. We'll be watching the results and updating the rankings accordingly.