Global Success and Exceptional Finale of the Esports World Cup

With French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in attendance, the Esports World Cup concluded the day before yesterday in Saudi Arabia, with organizers presenting the massive video game competition as a success in terms of audience attendance, viewership, and international follow-up.

For seven weeks, the biggest stars of esports flocked to the exhibition center at the Versailles Gate in Paris to compete on screens across 25 tournaments featuring 24 different games. The event was marked by spectacular staging, giant screens, and pyrotechnic effects.

On the closing day, the Accor Arena in Bercy hosted the final match of the game “Counter-Strike,” while the closing ceremony took place at the Grand Palais. In a lavish celebratory atmosphere, the Chinese team “All Gamers” received the championship trophy from the hands of French President Emmanuel Macron and Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo.

As with traditional sports, Saudi Arabia has mobilized significant resources to cement its status as one of the global powers in esports, as part of a declared investment strategy.

The Esports World Cup, launched in 2024, has become a key fixture on the global esports calendar due to its scale, unique format, and international character, and most importantly, its massive prize pool of $75 million, making participation highly attractive, and sometimes essential, for clubs.

The first two editions were held in Saudi Arabia, but in late May, organizers were forced to make an emergency decision to move the event to Paris due to the situation in the Middle East. This same regional context also led to the postponement of the inaugural Esports Nations Cup, originally scheduled for November 2026 in the Saudi capital Riyadh, by a full year.

The Esports Nations Cup is a separate tournament from the Esports World Cup, which is also organized by the Esports World Cup Foundation, and features club competitions rather than national teams.

On the digital front, the 2026 edition achieved significant progress, with 850 million views across various platforms and 440 million hours watched, representing increases of 13% and 26%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar, a member of the board of directors of the Esports World Cup Foundation, stated, “Given what we are doing, our goals, and the growth we aspire to, I can say without hesitation that this event was a success.”