Highlights
- The Tekken 8 EWC 2026 tournament runs through Aug 4-7 in Riyadh with a $1M prize pool.
- The Tekken 8 tournament format includes two double-elimination group stages followed by a single-elimination playoff with high-stakes Bo9 matches.
- A total of 32 competitors will qualify through multiple global and regional competitions.
Tekken 8 competition is set to be a marquee event during Week 5 of the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC), with a $1 million USD prize pool. Organized by the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) and ESL FACEIT Group, the Tekken 8 tournament at EWC 2026 will run from Aug 4-7, 2026.
The Tekken 8 tournament at EWC will feature 32 participants, including EWC 2025 champion Ulsan (real name, Lim Soo-hoon) from South Korea. The other 31 participants will be based on multiple global and regional tournaments, including Tekken World Tour 2025 Global Finals, EVO Japan, EVO, and EWC Last Chance Qualifier.
The Tekken 8 event will run alongside Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 tournament, PUBG MOBILE World Cup (PMWC) Week 1, and Honor of Kings World Cup Week 2 during Week 5 of EWC 2026. The lineup reflects EWC’s genre variety, balancing high-viewership tactical shooters, MOBAs, and fighting game showcases.
Tekken 8 EWC 2026 Tournament Structure and Qualification Details
The Esports World Cup 2026 format maintains a multi-layered competition model, including the Group Stage, Group Stage 2, and Playoff. The Group Stage will divide all 32 players into four groups, each comprising eight players. This stage will follow a double elimination format, comprising best-of-five (Bo5) matches.
The Group Stage will select the top four participants from each group and advance 16 players in total into Group Stage 2. Similar to the Group Stage, this round will also feature double elimination Bo5 matches. This stage will also segment the players into two groups, each comprising eight players, and advance the top four from each group to the final stage, the Playoff.
Unlike the previous rounds, the playoffs will feature a single-elimination bracket. This round consists of the quarter-final, semi-final, and the final. The matches will be played in high-intensity best-of-nine (Bo9) format.
Like previously stated, the 32 participants will be selected through multiple tournaments. Among them, the top eight from Tekken World Tour 2025 Global Finals (including Ulsan) are already selected: LowHigh, MangJa, Farzeen, ATIF, THE JON, Usama Abbasi, and Breadman.
EWC 2025’s champion, Ulsan (who is already selected as the Defending Champion), was also within the top 8; therefore, instead of eight, the Tekken World Tour 2025 (TWT 2025) will grant seven seats as of now. The remaining seat will be distributed later to another competitor.
EVO Japan, EVO, and EWC Last Chance Qualifier will each grant four slots to the EWC 2026. Three TWT Master Events will facilitate a total of nine tickets to EWC through Combo Breaker 2026 (top three), The MIXUP 2026 (top three), and SOOP Super Tournament 2026 (top three).
EWC 2026 will also grant a ticket to the TWT Finals to the champion, along with the prize money. Tekken 8’s spotlight at EWC 2026 underscores the continued importance of fighting games in the global esports calendar as well as the expanding circuit of Tekken 8.
