The 2026 Esports World Cup is redefining the scale of competitive gaming, running in Paris from 6 July to 23 August with a record-breaking prize pool of more than 75 million dollars across 25 events in 24 esports.
That figure makes it the richest esports event ever held, with 30 million dollars allocated to the Club Championship alone, rewarding organisations that perform consistently across multiple titles. The tournament opened in style with a ceremony at La Seine Musicale on 8 July, with early champions crowned in titles including VALORANT and Apex Legends during the first week.
The July schedule is stacked with headline competitions. The Dota 2 event runs from 6 to 18 July with 24 clubs competing for a 2 million dollar prize, the VALORANT event took place from 9 to 12 July, and the League of Legends competition ran from 13 to 19 July, each drawing 16 of the world's best teams.
Beyond the World Cup, the Call of Duty League playoffs began on 16 July, while the Honor of Kings World Cup is scheduled for 30 July to 8 August with a 3 million dollar prize pool.
With unprecedented money and global attention, esports continues its rapid march into the sporting mainstream.
_Reporting compiled from PandaScore and the Esports World Cup._
