The Esports World Cup Locks 20 Titles For 2026 Edition
The Esports World Cup Locks 20 Titles For 2026 Edition
The Saudi-backed Esports World Cup tournament will feature $70 million prize pool next year
Highlights
- The Esports World Cup Foundation confirmed 20 returning games, including Dota 2, Valorant, LoL, and CS2, with four more to be revealed.
- The Riyadh-based 2026 tournament, running from July 6 to Aug. 23, 2026, is expected to match or exceed 2025’s $70M prize pool.
- Backed by Savvy Games Group and the Ministry of Culture's Vision 2030, the event reinforces Saudi Arabia’s multi-billion-dollar push to lead global esports.
The Esports World Cup Foundation announced that 20 video-game titles will return for its 2026 competition, as Saudi Arabia accelerates its bid to establish the kingdom as a global hub for competitive gaming.
Highlights
The tournament, set to run from July 6 to Aug. 23 in the Saudi capital, will include mainstays such as Dota 2, League of Legends, Valorant, and Counter-Strike 2. Four additional titles have yet to be announced.
Highlights
All 20 confirmed games appeared in this year's edition. The lineup spans multiple genres, including first-person shooters, multiplayer online battle arenas, and mobile titles. Notably absent is Rennsport, a sim-racing game featured in 2025.
Saudi Arabia Expands Gaming Investment Through Esports World Cup
The foundation hasn't disclosed the 2026 prize pool but is expected to match or exceed this year's purse of more than $70 million, distributed across individual tournaments and team championships.
The event marks the third consecutive year Riyadh has hosted what organizers bill as the world's largest multi-title esports competition. The foundation, operating under Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture and state-backed Savvy Games Group, is pursuing an aggressive expansion strategy aligned with the kingdom's Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.
Saudi Arabia has emerged as a major player in the gaming industry, deploying billions of dollars to acquire stakes in companies including Nintendo, Electronic Arts, and Activision Blizzard's parent. The kingdom's Public Investment Fund established Savvy Games Group in 2022 with $38 billion earmarked for gaming investments.
The Esports World Cup has secured partnerships with major publishers, including Riot Games, Valve, and Tencent. Chess.com, working with grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, launched weekly qualifiers in August for the 2026 event's chess competition.
Author
Kamalikaa Biswas is a content writer at Outlook Respawn specializing in pop culture. She holds a Master's in English Literature from University of Delhi and leverages her media industry experience to deliver insightful content on the latest youth culture trends.
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