Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC 2026): Everything you need to know

The Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC 2026) is just around the corner, with the tournament kicking off on July 7. EWC will feature 24 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams competing for a massive $2,000,000 prize pool.

Here’s everything you need to know about EWC 2026:

EWC 2026: Dates, Location and Prize Pool

• Start Date: July 7, 2026
• End Date: July 19, 2026
• Location: Paris, France
• Prize Pool: $2,000,000

The Esports World Cup 2026 will be held from July 7 to July 19, 2026. Due to ongoing geopolitical instability in the Middle East, EWC 2026 was officially relocated to Paris, France, with Paris Expo Porte de Versailles serving as the tournament's epicentre.

The Dota 2 tournament features a whopping $2,000,000 prize pool. The winner walks away with the lion’s share of $750,000, while the runner-up gets $340,000. However, the top eight teams will also earn the much-coveted EWC Club Points.

EWC 2026: Dota 2 Teams, Schedule and Format

Let’s start with the list of Dota 2 teams participating in the Esports World Cup 2026:

• Team Spirit
• Team Yandex
• 1w
• Team Falcons
• PARIVISION
• Team Liquid
• Aurora Gaming
• BB Team
• Xtreme Gaming
• MOUZ
• PTime
• OG
• Virtus Pro
• LGD Gaming
• Rune Eaters
• Level UP
• Poor Rangers
• L1 Team
• IC x Insanity
• Vici Gaming
• Rekonix
• GamerLegion
• Team Nemesis
• Nigma Galaxy

24 teams will be divided into four groups of six teams each. The top team from each group will advance to the playoff, while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place teams from each group will qualify to the second stage, i.e., Survival Stage.

All series feature two games in a round-robin format.

The next stage of the tournament (Survival Stage) will feature a single-elimination format, where the fourth-placed team from each group faces the third-placed team. The winners will then face the second-placed teams from their respective groups. Every series will be played as a best-of-three (Bo3), and eventually four teams (one winner from each group) will advance to the playoffs.

The third stage, i.e., the Playoff, will be the final stage of the EWC 2026 Dota 2 tournament. This stage will feature a single-elimination bracket with all series played in a best-of-three (Bo3) format, except for the grand final, which will be played as a best-of-five (Bo5).

How to watch Dota 2 at EWC 2026

If you aren't planning to attend EWC 2026 in person, then you can catch all the action live right from the comfort of your home.

• Streaming Platforms: Official broadcasts will be streamed simultaneously on Twitch and YouTube across multiple languages (English, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Ukrainian, and Chinese).
• Community Casters: You can also expect popular Dota 2 personalities and co-streamers to join the party and add extra flavour to the tournament.

The Esports World Cup (EWC 2026) will act as a precursor to the crown jewel Dota 2 event, The International 2026, giving participating teams the perfect excuse to fine-tune their strategies and head confidently into the season finale.

Stay tuned to BLAST socials for the latest EWC 2026 Dota 2 updates.