As we know, the Esports World Cup left Riyadh for the first time this year. Rather than treat that as an embarrassing backwards step, the Saudi officials behind it are bullishly calling it proof that the tournament has “grown up” — and they see the move as key to boosting their own GDP in the future.
HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, a board member of the Esports Foundation, addressed the relocation head-on in a statement to The Esports Radar, claiming Paris was never a fallback option but was instead a deliberate expansion of the EWC’s global footprint. The 2026 edition opened on July 6 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, carrying a record $75 million prize pool spread across 25 tournaments and 24 games, including VALORANT and League of Legends.
The Esports Foundation announced the Esports World Cup 2026 will be held in Paris, France.
— Inven Global (@InvenGlobal) July 9, 2026
The event features a $75 million prize pool across 25 tournaments and 24 games, including League of Legends and VALORANT. Paris City Hall hosted the opening for the first $EWC held outside…
Why the EWC left Riyadh this year
The Esports Foundation confirmed the venue change in May, just two months before the tournament was due to start. At the time, security threats in the Middle East were said to be the main reason for the move, with the decision made to guarantee what the Foundation described as “a stable, world-class operating environment for players, fans, and commercial partners.”
The reasoning hasn’t really changed. But while it was clearly a last-minute call made under pressure, the recent framing from Saudi officials is positive and forward-looking.
Prince Faisal said in his full statement: “The decision to hold this year’s event in Paris was made to ensure the best possible environment for players, fans, partners and the global esports community. It reflects our commitment to delivering a world-class event under the right circumstances, while remaining focused on our long-term objectives.”
The Saudi development plan hasn’t changed
The central question surrounding the move was whether it would disrupt Saudi Arabia’s domestic tech and talent pipeline. Prince Faisal’s is adamant that it won’t, and that the Paris edition actually strengthens the long game.
What’s more, the domestic ambitions remain tied to Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s national development agenda. Esports and Gaming are expected to contribute roughly 1% of GDP, a figure that translates to approximately SAR 50 billion alongside the creation of almost 40,000 jobs across the country by the end of 2030.
Prince Faisal said the Kingdom’s domestic investments in “infrastructure, education, technology, local talent and the wider gaming ecosystem continue unchanged,” adding: “Hosting this year’s edition in Paris complements that ambition by strengthening the global platform we are building, while the long-term benefits and expertise continue to support the growth of the industry in the Kingdom.”
The logic is that commercial partnerships built in Paris, with a more diverse audience, will eventually channel institutional knowledge and resources back into the Saudi ecosystem. It’s a long-term argument and one that’s very persuasive right now. Can the timeline hold? That’s the key question.
What’s happening in Paris right now
The scale of EWC 2026 is not in question. Paris City Hall hosted the tournament’s opening ceremony, and the seven-week competitive marathon is well underway. It’s already been a dramatic start, with Dota 2 roster PTime booted out after two of their rostered members were barred by the ESIC. Away from the drama of the matches themselves, Insurance and financial services giant Allianz has emerged as a sponsor of the Paris edition, a notable commercial addition that signals the event’s pull with mainstream European brands.
A tournament with critics, too
Not everyone in the competitive community sees EWC 2026 through the same lens. Scheduling pressure has been a recurring concern among fans who noted that teams like BLG and HLE only had three days between the League MSI finals ending and their first EWC group stage matches starting. That left them with almost no time to recover from crushing jet lag before competing in Paris, which seemed unfair.
And despite Prince Faisal’s argument, some community members have questioned the tournament’s legitimacy as a competitive milestone. On the plus side, reaction to individual matches has been more enthusiastic. Gen.G’s opening win over Karmine Corp drew genuine engagement from League fans following the action in Paris, with discussion focused on in-game performance rather than the venue.
What comes next
The EWC 2026 continues until mid-August at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. With the full schedule now live and group stage play underway across multiple titles, the competitive picture will sharpen quickly. Whether the Foundation returns the event to Riyadh in 2027 — depending on security threat levels, of course — will be the real test of whether this year’s Paris edition was a detour or the start of something genuinely different.
