Esports World Cup takes place in Paris despite Esports not being legalised in France

Held over seven weeks, the Esports World Cup features a prize pool of over $75m

The first international edition of the world’s largest esports and gaming event, running through August 23 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. EWC 2026 brings together more than 2,000 elite players, 200 leading esports Clubs from over 100 countries, competing across 25 tournaments in 24 of the world’s most popular games for a share of a record-breaking $75 million prize pool.

Their arrival in Paris follows the largest Road to EWC qualification program in history, with more than 1.5 million players competing across 330 tournaments, publisher leagues and premier international circuits to earn their place on the world’s biggest esports stage.

With 3.6 billion gamers worldwide, gaming has become a global language, connecting people across every continent, culture and community. The Esports World Cup exists to give that community its defining annual competition, a shared stage where the world’s best players, Clubs and games come together to shape the future of esports..

Paris gives EWC 2026 a global stage equal to its ambition. As a city recognized for sport, culture and major international events, Paris highlights the next chapter of the Esports World Cup: a competition built to travel across borders, unite the global esports ecosystem, and showcase competitive gaming as a modern global sport.

Ralf Reichert, CEO of Esports Foundation, said: “Competitive gaming has always had great players, great games and unforgettable champions. The Esports World Cup brings them together in one defining annual stage. For seven weeks in Paris, every title crowns its own winner, but every result also contributes to a bigger race: the Club Championship. That is what makes EWC different. It rewards not only individual brilliance, but the depth, consistency and ambition of an entire Club.”

HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Board Member of the Esports Foundation, said: “EWC was born in Saudi Arabia from a bold belief that esports is a defining platform for the next generation of sports and entertainment, deserving a global stage equal to the passion of its players, Clubs, publishers and fans. Today, EWC has grown into much more than a tournament, it is a global platform that brings people together through gaming. Riyadh will always remain the home and foundation of the Esports World Cup, but our ambition has always extended beyond its borders. That ambition has brought us to Paris, marking an exciting new chapter for our community. I would like to thank President Emmanuel Macron and our friends in France for their support and partnership in making this moment possible. Together, we are demonstrating the unique power of esports to bring the world together.”

Marina Ferrari, French Minister of Sports, Youth, and Community Life: “Hosting the first international edition of the Esports World Cup in Paris is a source of immense pride for France. I commend the Esports Foundation’s commitment and the quality of the collaboration established with French authorities throughout the preparation of this event. This partnership, built on trust, was crucial in enabling us to collectively rise to the challenge of organizing this first international edition of the Esports World Cup in Paris. Building on the legacy of major sporting events hosted in our country in recent years, France reaffirms its ability to host the world’s largest international competitions and showcase its expertise. This World Cup is a testament to a long-term vision for French esports. In the fall, we will present our national esports development strategy for 2026–2030 to help structure this sector, support the emergence of new talent, and strengthen the international reach of our ecosystem.”

The first trophy of the Esports World Cup has been scooped by Luis Guadalupe “DarkAngel” Castillo Gomez who won the FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves tournament at Esports World Cup 2026 after taking down Virtus.Pro’s Kenta “mi2ha4” Ichihara 4-1 in the grand final. The NAVI player fought through a tough finals bracket to make it to the end, and triumphed in an electrifying finale that went heavily in his favour.

DarkAngel, who was the only player from last year’s top eight to make it to this year’s finals bracket, improved on his third-place finish by taking the top spot, but the Mexican player’s journey was filled with top level opposition on his way.

“I’m extremely happy and extremely grateful, thank you for my team NAVI, and everyone in Latin America that follows me and supports me,” Luis Guadalupe “DarkAngel” Castillo Gomez said following his triumph. “I’ve learned a lot through every single person who has played with me, from the wins, from the losses. Thank you to everyone who has ever helped me, even though you are not in my team specifically, I have always learned from them, and I’m extremely grateful.”

The National Gaming Authority (ANJ) issued a statement reminding the public that betting on this discipline is prohibited in France. The law stipulates that the organisation of a video game competition cannot include the acceptance of bets.

According to the regulator, this ban on esports betting stems from risks to the integrity of the competitions—particularly those not organised in France in compliance with the Internal Security Code. Consequently, sites offering such bets that are accessible from France in violation of the law are illegal. For these reasons, the ANJ advises against betting on these platforms, which offer “no guarantee of reliability regarding gaming operations.” Furthermore, the regulator notes that “this offering lacks the player protection mechanisms found in legal services—such as safeguards in the event of disputes or age verification—” and highlights the risks of significant financial loss, theft of personal and banking data, malware installation, and addiction.