Esports World Cup 2026 Relocated to Paris Amid Middle East Tensions

Delaying this year’s Esports World Cup (EWC), which has been moved from Saudi Arabia to Paris, was not an option, its organiser has said.

The tournament, one of the biggest events in competitive gaming, draws about 2,000 professional players vying for a share of a $75 million (£55 million) prize pool.

Held in Riyadh for the past two years, event organisers announced the relocation due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Mike McCabe, a chief organiser of the EWC, told BBC Newsbeat that outright cancellation would have caused financial losses for esports clubs that rely on streaming rights and prize money.

The tournament is the latest major event affected by regional tensions, following the cancellation of April’s Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

As the EWC approached, competing teams began questioning the implications for them.

“The regional situation and the instability was still a question mark for many of the players and fans,” said McCabe, deputy CEO of tournament organisers the Esports Foundation.

He said disruptions to air travel were a “primary consideration” in the decision to move the tournament, and stressed the call was made as early as possible.

McCabe, however, emphasised that pressure from players and fans did not drive the relocation, and noted plans for the EWC to be held outside Saudi Arabia had already been announced.

“This was always part of the plan. There’s just been a change of sequence,” he said.

“The EWC runs for seven weeks, but we spend many months planning for it,” he said.

“So for us to pivot the entire event to a different country is a huge undertaking.”

McCabe said the foundation still aims to hold the first Esports Nations Cup in Riyadh this November as planned, but has prepared contingency plans if that becomes impossible.

Thousands of players and fans must adjust their travel plans, although most spectators watch matches online.

British Trackmania esports professional Thomas Cole, known online as PAC, is one of the competitors.

“I was really looking forward to playing in Riyadh, just to see what it would have been like,” he said.

He added that he has only competed in front of European audiences previously and would have welcomed a new experience.

Cole plays for Team Vitality, based in Paris, meaning he will now perform for home crowds, which he said will make a significant difference.

“I can continue practicing in Paris if I wanted to, which if anything makes things slightly easier,” he said.

Hosting the EWC in Saudi Arabia has drawn controversy due to the country’s anti-LGBT laws and human rights record, despite the investment that launched the event.

Critics accuse the Saudi government of “sportswashing”—using popular events to distract from its reputation.

Some players, commentators and other esports figures have boycotted the tournament.

Esports professional Emma, known online as Emzii, who has won trophies for Team GB, said she had worried about safety for transgender players like herself in Riyadh.

She told Newsbeat the move to Paris is “pretty darn amazing… from an LGBT standpoint.”

“I think you’re going to get a massive uptick of people actually willing to go,” she said.

“It’s going to be welcoming and inclusive. I don’t think there’s going to be any barriers there for the LGBT community especially.”

McCabe told Newsbeat the tournament’s stance has always been that everyone is welcome, a position he said has not changed.

However, he noted that the new Paris venue “helps us to increase the global relevance and brings new fans to the ecosystem.”

Saudi Arabia has recently scaled back investments in certain events.

Last year, the country “mutually agreed” to end a deal with the International Olympic Committee to host an Olympics Esports Games.

In April, it also ended funding for the breakaway LIV Golf tournament.