The Esports Foundation has opened applications for a new Creator Program that puts up to $2 million in rewards behind co-streamers broadcasting the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup in 2026. Announced on 11 June 2026 and open to creators worldwide, it is the organisation’s largest co-streaming push to date, with the Foundation aiming to grow its co-streamer base from around 3,500 in 2025 to roughly 5,000 this year.

How the $2M Creator Program Works

Approved creators receive permission to co-stream selected tournaments from both the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup on their own channels. Participation runs through a Battle Pass-style system, where creators complete missions, climb leaderboards and unlock rewards over the course of the events. Those rewards include gift cards, hardware such as gaming gear and consoles, streaming-platform perks, and potential invitations to attend the Esports World Cup and Esports Nations Cup in person, all drawn from a $2,000,000 pool that the Foundation is splitting across the two tournaments. The full programme is detailed on the Esports World Cup site.

5,000 Co-Streamers and a Wider Platform List

Co-streaming has been central to how the Esports World Cup has expanded its reach, letting creators rebroadcast official feeds to viewers in different regions and languages. In 2025, around 3,500 co-streamers were carrying matches to their own communities, and for 2026 the Foundation plans to lift that to roughly 5,000 participating creators, with the stated objective of extending coverage into new territories. The Creator Program supports a range of major streaming platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, Bilibili, Huya and CHZZK, with additional platforms also part of the rollout.

When EWC and ENC 2026 Take Place

The Esports World Cup 2026 is scheduled for the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris, France, running from 6 July through 23 August. Later in the year, the Esports Nations Cup 2026 will be staged in Riyadh in November as a nation-based competition, giving co-streamers two distinct events to build their leaderboard runs around.

Applications are open now, ahead of the Esports World Cup kicking off in Paris on 6 July, with the second half of the reward pool tied to the Esports Nations Cup in Riyadh come November.

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The Esports World Cup Foundation has opened registration for the Esports World Cup 2026 Last Chance Qualifiers, the final on-ramp for players and Clubs who missed the Road to EWC pathway. Announced on 8 June 2026, the LCQ programme spans eight open tournaments running in Paris from 5 July to 10 August, with 37 solo spots and six Club spots reserved for the main event. The qualifiers cover Counter-Strike 2, EA FC, Rocket League, TEKKEN 8, Chess, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves and Street Fighter 6.

One final way in.

The Last Chance Qualifier is your final shot to unlock a place at EWC26 Paris. pic.twitter.com/87GpnTbjca

— Esports World Cup (@EWC_EN) June 6, 2026

Registration is live across all eight titles, with first matches scheduled to begin on 5 July at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. The LCQ is positioned as the last competitive shot at the marquee event, and the 43 qualifying slots will close out a field that has been forming since the start of the year through a global qualification network of more than 230 events.

Eight Titles Open for LCQ Registration

The 2026 LCQ slate is the broadest the Foundation has assembled, pairing established team disciplines with the fighting game and sports lineup that has defined recent EWC seasons. Counter-Strike 2 leads the team-game side alongside Rocket League and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, while EA FC carries the football slot. Fighting games occupy three of the eight brackets through TEKKEN 8, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves and Street Fighter 6, with Chess rounding out the mind-sports inclusion.

Each title operates as a standalone open tournament with its own registration window, format and seeding. Players sign up directly through the official EWC LCQ portal, and entry is open to anyone who has not already secured a spot through the broader qualification network. There is no buy-in required to enter and brackets are structured around regional-to-global progression rather than single-venue elimination.

How the LCQ Slots Into the Road to EWC 2026

The Last Chance Qualifier sits at the end of the Road to EWC 2026, a global qualification network that has stretched across more than 230 tournaments and qualifying events since the start of the season. The Foundation is targeting engagement from more than 350,000 competitors across that wider pathway, with regional finals, partner circuits, and Club-tier ladders all feeding into the Paris bracket.

Most of the EWC 2026 main-event field has already been locked in through that pathway. The LCQ is built to catch the players and teams who fell short of direct qualification but remain competitive at international level, offering a single concentrated route into the tournament rather than a second-chance scattershot. Across the eight brackets the immediate prize is access to the main stage rather than a separate cash purse, although LCQ winners feed into the same prize pool structure as the rest of the field once they reach Paris.

For Club programmes, the six available spots are a meaningful number. Club involvement has been the structural backbone of the Esports World Cup since the format launched, and securing a Club seat at the LCQ keeps an organisation in the running for the Club Championship standings that have shaped roster decisions and sponsorship cycles across the year. The six Club slots split across the team-format titles, meaning Counter-Strike 2, Rocket League and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 each carry a portion of that allocation.

Paris Dates, Venue and Spot Distribution

The LCQ events run from 5 July through 10 August 2026 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, the same venue hosting the main Esports World Cup. The qualifier window opens one day before the main event begins on 6 July and closes roughly two weeks before the Foundation wraps the tournament on 23 August. That overlap means LCQ winners in the earlier titles will move straight into their main-event brackets without a travel reset, while titles with later LCQ slots will run their qualifying matches in parallel with the opening days of the main draw.

Of the 43 total spots available across the eight tournaments, 37 are reserved for solo competitors and six are reserved for Clubs. The split reflects the discipline mix on the slate, with the four solo fighting and sports titles plus Chess drawing the bulk of individual-bracket spots and the three team-format games carrying the Club allocations. Exact per-title slot counts vary, and the Foundation has confirmed those figures alongside the registration listing for each game.

Paris Expo Porte de Versailles itself is one of the largest exhibition centres in Europe and has carried major gaming and esports events in previous years. The Foundation is using the venue across multiple halls for the EWC 2026 run, with the LCQ stages operating alongside the main-event production from the moment the doors open on 5 July.

What the Last Chance Qualifier Means for the Paris Event

Paris Expo Porte de Versailles becomes the central staging ground for the entire Esports World Cup 2026 calendar, hosting both the LCQ and the main tournament under one venue. The Foundation has positioned EWC 2026 as the first full overseas edition of the competition after previous runs centred on Riyadh, and the LCQ functions partly as a soft launch for the new venue ahead of the main schedule.

The tournament will play out across the same arena set-ups the EWC has used in previous seasons, with broadcast production handled in-house and Club performance tracked through the Club Championship leaderboard that runs across all disciplines. For competitors arriving through the LCQ, the on-site experience matches the rest of the field. There is no separate qualifier-bracket area, and players progress directly into the main pools once their LCQ run ends.

The LCQ also acts as a public-facing showcase for the wider Road to EWC pathway. With more than 350,000 competitors engaged across the season, the Foundation has been using the qualifying funnel to push EWC visibility beyond the traditional Riyadh audience and into the European and North American esports calendars. The Paris stage closes that funnel by putting the final 43 qualifiers on the same arena floor as teams who locked in their seats months ago.

Registration for each of the eight LCQ tournaments closes on a rolling schedule ahead of the 5 July kick-off, with the Foundation publishing individual cutoff dates per title on its official portal. Players and Clubs intending to enter need to sign up before their specific title’s window closes, after which the brackets are seeded and the bracket draws are published. The Foundation will also issue final attendance and travel guidance to qualified competitors once seeding is locked.

Next Steps for Registered Players

The Foundation will release the per-title format details, bracket draws and broadcast schedules in the lead-up to the 5 July opening. The first LCQ matches on 5 July sit one day ahead of the main Esports World Cup kicking off on 6 July, with the LCQ programme closing on 10 August and the wider tournament running through to 23 August.

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Fortnite is officially returning to the Esports World Cup in 2026, bringing with it a brand new competitive circuit built around the fast paced Fortnite Reload mode. Announced on December 17, Epic Games confirmed that the Reload Elite Series will culminate in a live championship at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a total prize pool of $2.5 million on the line.

Fortnite is back at EWC in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Reload Elite Series Championship 🚨

Duos Qualifiers kick off on January 8: https://t.co/VOZZN8yy0R pic.twitter.com/xaPRP0necx

— Fortnite Competitive (@FNCompetitive) December 17, 2025

It marks a major moment for Fortnite esports, introducing a fresh format designed to thrive on the biggest stage in competitive gaming.

A New Competitive Direction With Fortnite Reload

Instead of traditional Battle Royale rules where elimination means instant exit, Fortnite Reload flips the script. Matches focus on nonstop action, tighter maps, and respawns that keep teams in the fight for longer. As long as one teammate remains alive, eliminated players can return, pushing squads to stay aggressive and constantly engaged.

Points are earned through eliminations and sustained pressure, creating a high intensity environment packed with highlight moments. Respawns eventually shut off late in each round, ensuring the final victory still belongs to the last team standing.

This format places a strong emphasis on mechanical skill, smart decision making, and tight duos synergy, making it a natural fit for a global event like the Esports World Cup.

Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer of the Esports World Cup Foundation, said Fortnite continues to influence gaming and digital culture far beyond competition, adding that Reload introduces a new multi year global ecosystem built for elite level play.

Reload Elite Series Explained

The Reload Elite Series is a global online competition running between January and June 2026, featuring four major Qualifiers. Across the series, $1.5 million will be distributed online, with another $1 million reserved for the in person championship at EWC.

Each Qualifier follows the same three stage structure.

Qualifiers and Open Rounds

Every Qualifier begins with two Open Rounds, each offering up to 12 matches per Open. Regional advancement differs based on player population.

Europe advances the top 2,000 duos, North America Central sends the top 1,000 duos forward, while Oceania, Asia, Middle East, Brazil, and North America West each advance the top 500 duos.

Play Ins, Heats, and Finals

Advancing teams enter the Play Ins, where duos compete across two rounds of up to 12 matches each. The top 80 duos then progress to the Heats stage.

Heats divide teams into four groups, with eight matches per Heat. The top five duos from each Heat qualify for the Final.

In the Final, 20 duos battle across eight matches to earn a place at the Esports World Cup. Qualification spots are allocated by region.

Europe sends its top three teams, North America Central sends its top two, while Oceania, Asia, Middle East, Brazil, and North America West each send their top team. Across all Qualifiers, 40 duos will qualify for EWC.

Image Credit: Esports World Cup

Prize Pool Breakdown and Road to Riyadh

The Reload Elite Series offers $296,000 across Heats and $1,204,800 during Finals throughout the online circuit. First place teams in Europe can earn up to $30,000 per Qualifier.

The biggest prize awaits in Riyadh, where the Reload Elite Series Championship will award a further $1 million as the world’s best Fortnite Reload duos clash on a global stage.

To be eligible, players must hold Elite rank or higher in Reload, have an account level of at least 350, and have competed in 14 tournaments within the past 180 days.

Fortnite’s Esports Legacy Continues

Since launching in 2017, Fortnite has delivered some of the most iconic moments in esports history, from record breaking prize pools to unforgettable live events. Nearly a decade on, it remains one of the most influential competitive games in the world.

Fortnite Reload first launched in summer 2024 and quickly resonated with veteran players. Its focus on constant fights and minimal downtime offered a high energy alternative within Epic Games’ competitive ecosystem, setting the stage for its debut at EWC.

This also marks Fortnite’s second appearance at the Esports World Cup. While the game featured in the 2024 edition, it was absent in 2025, with organisers previously citing a lack of competitive tools. Reload appears to be the answer.

Fortnite and Rocket League Head to EWC 2026

Fortnite joins Rocket League as part of Epic Games’ partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation, with both titles featured alongside 20 other confirmed games at the 2026 event.

With new energy, higher stakes, and a competitive format built for spectacle, Fortnite’s return to EWC feels like a defining step forward. Whether stars like Cody “Clix” Conrod or established organisations such as XSET make it to Riyadh remains to be seen, but the road to the Esports World Cup has officially begun.

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The Counter-Strike 2 tournament calendar just got a little lighter. PGL has officially announced that it will no longer host its planned August 2026 event, citing a scheduling overlap with the newly expanded Esports World Cup.

We will not be running our August 6–16, 2026 Counter-Strike 2 event.
The decision follows another tournament being announced at a later date that overlaps with ours, despite our schedule being published in March 2024.
We appreciate your understanding.

— PGL (@pglesports) October 11, 2025

The “other tournament” in question is none other than the Esports World Cup (EWC), the Saudi-backed mega-event which recently announced a 32-team format, a $2 million USD prize pool, and a longer schedule running from August 12–23, 2026.

Esports World Cup’s Expansion Shakes Up the Calendar

The EWC’s growth has created a ripple effect across the CS2 competitive landscape. With 28 of the 32 EWC invites tied to the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), top-tier teams are expected to prioritise Riyadh over other events. The tournament’s financial incentives and prestige have made it virtually impossible for other organisers to compete for the same dates.

This is the latest in a growing list of scheduling headaches for PGL. The company previously moved the PGL Masters Bucharest Grand Final earlier this year to avoid a clash with IEM Chengdu. But this time, the overlap proved too large to ignore.

Community Reactions: “Blood Money Always Wins”

The decision has sparked frustration across the Counter-Strike community. Many fans have accused the Esports World Cup of monopolising the scene through its financial power, while others blamed ESL for its deep involvement in the Saudi-backed ecosystem.

One user wrote, “I do not understand how you can let Esports World Cup push you to not have your event. This only shows me that you care more about what they do than what you do. It’s a joke.”

Another echoed the sentiment, saying, “Wonder why ESL only overlaps with PGL and never with BLAST. #Nooticing.”

There’s a growing perception that PGL is being squeezed out of the top-tier tournament scene, a sentiment that ties back to earlier controversies involving ESL allegedly pressuring teams to skip PGL’s events. (Read more in our recent coverage: ESL Forcing Teams to Boycott PGL Bucharest?)

A Difficult Year for PGL

The cancellation is a tough blow for PGL, which had originally announced its full 2026 calendar in early 2024. The company still plans to run four other Counter-Strike 2 tournaments next year, with events scheduled in Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest, Astana, and Belgrade.

However, losing its August LAN means one fewer Tier 1 event for the global CS2 circuit, and with the deadline for 2026 tournament announcements already passed under Valve’s Tournament Organiser Rules, no new events can fill the gap.

Whether PGL’s decision signals a shift in the balance of power between organisers or simply a scheduling casualty remains to be seen. What’s clear is that the Esports World Cup’s expansion is changing how tournament organisers approach their calendars, and for fans, the road to 2026 just got more political than ever.

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Counter-Strike 2 is getting a major upgrade for the Esports World Cup 2026, with the organisers confirming a bigger and more ambitious tournament set for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The event will take place from August 12th to 23rd, 2026, featuring 32 teams competing across 11 days of high-stakes LAN action for a $2,000,000 prize pool, a $750,000 increase over last year’s edition.

Bigger Format, Higher Stakes

According to the Esports World Cup Foundation, the 2026 Counter-Strike 2 tournament will expand in nearly every aspect. Players and fans can expect six more days of play, 16 more teams, and an estimated 80 hours of CS2 matches, that’s 42 more hours than in 2025.

The competition begins with a five-day Group Stage, featuring four groups of eight teams in a double-elimination format. The top four from each group will progress to the six-day Playoffs, which will run in best-of-three series until the best-of-five Grand Final.

The best Counter-Strike 2 players will be back in Riyadh next year! 🔥

Learn all about CS2 at EWC26 on our website 👇 https://t.co/0VEmJEw6zA pic.twitter.com/QXdww8HAtO

— Esports World Cup (@EWC_EN) October 10, 2025

Qualification and Seeding

Out of the 32 participating teams, 28 will be invited based on the June 2026 VRS rankings, with seeding determined by the July 2026 publication. The remaining four slots will be filled through an Open Qualifier LAN at the Esports Boulevard in Riyadh from August 7th to 9th.

The qualifier will support up to 128 registered teams and features a $100,000 prize pool, with the top four securing spots at the main event. Like the main tournament, the qualifiers will be played entirely on LAN, ensuring a consistent competitive standard across all stages.

Prize Distribution

Here’s how the $2 million will be split:

• 1st Place: $600,000
• 2nd Place: $340,000
• 3rd Place: $190,000
• 4th Place: $110,000
• 5th–8th: $60,000
• 9th–16th: $35,000
• 17th–23rd: $20,000
• 24th–32nd: $10,000

Setting a New Benchmark for CS2 Esports

This expansion marks a significant leap for Counter-Strike 2 at the Esports World Cup. The 2025 edition, which saw The MongolZ claim victory over Aurora Gaming, was already one of the year’s most-watched tournaments. The increased prize pool, longer schedule, and broader qualification system show the organisers’ intent to take CS2 competition to the next level in 2026.

A Controversial Spotlight

While the upgrades are widely celebrated, the Esports World Cup continues to face criticism due to its Saudi Arabian government backing. Concerns persist around the nation’s human rights record and its treatment of women and LGBTQ+ communities. Despite this, the event remains a major fixture in the global esports calendar, drawing top organisations and massive international audiences.

The Esports World Cup 2026 will also include 20 returning titles, such as VALORANT, Rainbow Six Siege X, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.

With more teams, more money, and more Counter-Strike than ever before, the stage is set for one of the biggest esports tournaments in 2026.

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The Esports World Cup is officially returning in 2026, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the biggest esports spectacles of the year. Organised by the Saudi government-backed Esports World Cup Foundation, the third edition of the tournament will once again bring together the world’s most prestigious competitive titles, and some fresh surprises are still on the way.

The organisers have confirmed the first 20 games for next year’s line-up, covering everything from MOBAs and shooters to fighting and strategy titles. Fans can expect top-tier esports like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, League of Legends, VALORANT, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang to headline the competition once again.

A full roster of confirmed titles 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
• Free Fire
• Honor of Kings
• League of Legends
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
• Overwatch 2
• PUBG: Battlegrounds
• PUBG Mobile
• Rainbow Six Siege X
• Street Fighter 6
• Teamfight Tactics
• VALORANT

That still leaves four more titles yet to be revealed, keeping fans guessing as the organisers tease new additions in the coming months.

We’re coming back in 2026 with a squad of the most prestigious esports titles 🏆

And four are yet to be announced 👀 pic.twitter.com/H4IjHRxMBC

— Esports World Cup (@EWC_EN) October 8, 2025

Returning heavyweights and rising contenders

Interestingly, all 20 of the currently announced games featured at the 2025 edition of the Esports World Cup. While that means no brand-new titles have been confirmed yet, the organisers have promised that four more will join the line-up before the event kicks off. Last year’s additions included CrossFire, Fatal Fury, Chess, and VALORANT, so there’s every chance the upcoming reveals could introduce another mix of mainstream and niche favourites.

Chess continues to be a surprising but successful inclusion. Earlier this year, Magnus Carlsen partnered with Chess.com to launch a weekly qualifying series that will serve as an official route to the Esports World Cup 2026, proving that even non-traditional esports are finding a growing audience.

A growing global spectacle

The Esports World Cup has quickly become a cornerstone of the competitive gaming calendar. First launched in 2024 to replace Gamers8, the event has since expanded in scale and influence. The 2025 edition was a record-breaker, drawing millions of viewers worldwide and posting a massive 51.3% increase in total watch time, with Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s Mid Season Cup 2025 surpassing 3 million peak viewers.

Now, with another stacked line-up and continued backing from major publishers and global organisations, the Esports World Cup 2026 is looking to top those numbers. With four unannounced titles still to come, fans can expect more reveals as the countdown to Riyadh begins.

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