Paris to Host $75M 2026 Esports World Cup

Paris will host the seven-week, $75 million Esports World Cup in 2026. The city has hosted major tournaments for Rainbow Six, VALORANT and Rocket League and held a Counter-Strike Major in 2023. A Call of Duty League Major is scheduled later this month.

French organisations are active in multiple titles. Team Vitality leads Counter-Strike 2 competition. Karmine Corp won the Rocket League Championship Series on home soil and joined the Esports World Cup Partner Program after almost being excluded. Gentle Mates mixes content creators with competitive rosters. Solary and Joblife produce French-language content for local audiences.

President Emmanuel Macron declared, “France is on top of esports.” The government introduced stronger player-contract regulations and coordinated with game publishers and teams during the host-city selection process. Esports Foundation CEO Ralf Reichert credited government efforts during those talks as a main factor in choosing Paris.

Founders from international teams reported instructions sent to French embassies to speed visa procedures for esports stakeholders, aimed at easing international attendance.

Havas Play was appointed to handle sponsorship sales for the Esports World Cup. French officials have projected roughly €600 million in economic impact from tourism, hospitality, local spending, employment and related business activity linked to the event.

In the global context, South Korea led competitive gaming for more than a decade. The United States drew major venture capital investment into esports. Germany hosted large events such as IEM Cologne and is home to companies including ESL FACEIT Group and Riot Games’ European headquarters. Saudi Arabia has provided substantial funding for events including the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup. Brazil remains notable for highly engaged local communities.

High-profile events, competitive organisations with creator-driven audiences, legal frameworks and commercial partnerships are in place ahead of the 2026 Esports World Cup in Paris.