Esports World Cup 2027: back in Riyadh in July and August, with Counter-Strike 2 from July 20 and a $2 million prize pool

After a summer in Paris, the Esports World Cup heads back to Saudi Arabia. Here’s where and when EWC 2027 takes place and what’s confirmed so far.

Where and when is the Esports World Cup 2027?

In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July to August 2027, according to the event’s official site. The 2026 edition was the first Esports World Cup held outside Riyadh, in Paris, and the organizers said Riyadh remains central to the event’s long-term future. They haven’t published exact dates for the whole event, the list of games or ticket sales yet.

The first confirmed game: Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is the first game confirmed for 2027, and it’s locked in for 2028 too. The main event runs from July 20 to Aug. 1, 2027, at Esports Boulevard in Riyadh, with teams arriving on July 18 and a media day on July 19. Every stage is played in person on LAN.

Thirty-two teams play for a $2 million prize pool. Twenty get global invites from Valve’s regional ranking, two each come from the North American, South American and Asian rankings, two are wildcards and four come through an open qualifier. Invites follow the first ranking published in May 2027, and seeding the first one in July.

Stage 1 splits the field into four double elimination groups of eight, and the top four from each group move into a 16-team playoff with best-of-three matches and a best-of-five grand final. The winner takes $700,000, second place $300,000, third $150,000 and fourth $90,000, and even the teams in 24th to 32nd place get $10,000 each.

The open qualifier in Riyadh

Before the main event, an in-person open qualifier runs from July 16 to 18, 2027, at the same venue. It takes up to 128 teams, costs $100 per team to enter and fills on a first come, first served basis. The top four teams reach the main event, and the qualifier has its own $100,000 prize pool, with $9,500 for each team in fifth to eighth place. Registration details come later.

For 2028, Counter-Strike 2 is tentatively scheduled for July 14 to 30.

How the 2026 Esports World Cup ended

The 2026 edition ran for seven weeks in Paris and ended on Aug. 23, 2026. More than 2,000 players from 200 clubs competed in 25 tournaments across 24 games for a record $75 million prize pool. AG.AL won the $7 million Club Championship with 5,300 points after a Trackmania win on the final weekend, ahead of two-time defending champion Team Falcons with 4,600, Team Vitality, Natus Vincere and Team Liquid.

The organizers report 850 million viewers, 440 million hours watched, a peak of 4.3 million viewers during the League of Legends tournament and 175,000 tickets sold. Karmine Corp reached the League of Legends grand final in front of a home crowd, and the same club plays MVK Esports on Oct. 18 for a Swiss Stage spot at Worlds; our Worlds 2026 schedule page tracks every match. For Valorant’s road through 2027, see our VCT 2027 schedule and locations page.

This page is updated as soon as the Esports World Cup announces the full 2027 dates, more games or ticket sales.