The Esports World Cup made its debut in Paris this week with more than 100,000 tickets already sold, organisers say, as the Saudi Arabia-founded tournament is held outside the kingdom for the first time.
The seven-week event brings together more than 2,000 players and 200 clubs from more than 100 countries. Competitors will play across 24 games and 25 tournaments, with a prize pool exceeding $75 million.
“More than 100,000 tickets have been sold in the last few weeks – a record pace for an event like this,” Ralf Reichert, chief executive of the Esports World Cup Foundation, said at the opening press conference.
The Esports World Cup was launched in Riyadh in 2024 as part of the kingdom’s push to become a global gaming and esports hub.
Reichert said organisers have preserved the structure of the tournament in Paris, running until August 23, which is built around cross-game club championships, with results across individual titles contributing to one overall ranking.
“The competition remains unchanged. What changes is the city,” he said.
The event’s arrival in France gives the Esports World Cup its first major test in a European market, with organisers hoping the move can widen its audience and build the tournament into a travelling global property.
Reichert described Paris as a natural next step after last year’s competition in Riyadh, pointing to the city’s experience staging major international events and its deep gaming audience.
“Riyadh built it. Paris takes it to the world,” he said.
Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, framed the tournament’s move to Paris as the next step in the event's global ambitions.
“Just as Greece will always be the birthplace of the Olympics, Riyadh will always be the home of the Esports World Cup – its foundation, its birthplace and where this journey began,” he said.
“The future of esports will not be shaped by any one organisation, publisher or government,” he added. “It will be built through collaboration, investment, innovation, partnership and opportunities for players, creators, entrepreneurs and communities everywhere.”
Emmanuel Gregoire, Mayor of Paris, said the city had built up its credentials for such an event through previous competitions and wider investment in the sector, having hosted the 2023 Paris Major and the 2024 League of Legends World Championship.
“We are honoured and thrilled to host the Esports World Cup here in Paris after the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” he said. “Paris has developed an extensive esports ecosystem, and we have steadily invested in the sector. This is only the beginning. We are committed to attracting the world’s biggest competitions while continuing to grow our local ecosystem, from clubs and infrastructure to training.”
Esports is part of France's overall ambitions in the global competition space, according to Marina Ferrari, France’s Minister of Sports, Youth and Community Life, who said France will launch a new national esports strategy this autumn.
“The true success of this World Cup is legacy – helping esports find its place in society and inspiring the next generation of French champions,” she said.
Reichert said the challenge now was to make the scale of the event understandable to fans who may follow only one game or club. The Esports World Cup brings together separate competitive communities under one wider championship structure, with publishers, clubs, creators and media partners tied into the same event.
“Every game has its own world, its own language, its own heroes and its own traditions,” he said. “EWC respects this and brings them together.”
