Esports World Cup 2026 Kicks Off in Paris After Saudi Relocation
The relocation of the Esports World Cup from Riyadh to Paris for its third edition represents the first time the tournament is held outside Saudi Arabia, expanding its international footprint while the organizers stress Riyadh remains the event's symbolic origin.
Reporting from 1 source: 4Gamer.net.
The Esports World Cup 2026 press conference was held at Paris City Hall on July 8, with officials including Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, CEO Ralf Reichert, and minister Marina Ferrari. The event, originally planned for Riyadh, was moved to Paris due to the Middle East situation. It runs July 6 to August 23 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. Speakers emphasized Paris as a new stage while affirming Riyadh as the permanent home of the competition.
The Esports World Cup 2026 press conference was held at Paris City Hall on July 8, with four speakers addressing the event's relocation from Riyadh. Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire called it a natural step after the city hosted previous esports majors, and said President Macron had requested the move. Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, a Saudi royal and Esports Foundation board member, stated that Riyadh will always be the home of the Esports World Cup, just as Greece is for the Olympics. CEO Ralf Reichert, founder of ESL, said the change in city did not affect the competition. French minister Marina Ferrari announced a national esports development strategy for 2026-2030.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.