Paris Edition of the Esports World Cup

The video-gaming competition, created in 2024 and funded by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, concluded on Sunday at the Parc des Expositions de la Porte de Versailles. It ran for seven weeks, featuring 25 tournaments across 24 different games, including Counter-Strike, League of Legends and Fortnite. Esports stars such as Faker, Niko, Zywoo and even Norway’s chess king Magnus Carlsen took part in the matches.

Financial and Commercial Success

The 2026 edition offered a $75 million prize pool, a colossal sum that makes participation essential for clubs. Organisers sold 175,000 tickets, up from 90,000 at the previous Riyadh edition. Online viewership reached 850 million, a 13 % rise over the previous year, while viewing hours hit 440 million, a 26 % increase.

Emergency Logistics

Organisers had to move the event from Riyadh to Paris in under eight weeks due to the war in the Middle East. Mike McCabe, head of the Esports Foundation, told AFP: “Launching this event has been a huge success: moving from a Riyadh concept to a world-class event in Paris in less than eight weeks is unprecedented.”

Grand Finale

The Counter-Strike final took place at the Accor Arena in Bercy, while the closing ceremony was held at the Grand Palais. The Chinese team All Gamers received the trophy in front of Emmanuel Macron and Cristiano Ronaldo, under the eyes of Crown Prince Mohammed ben Salmane, who was visiting Paris on a diplomatic trip. Prince Faisal bin Bandar praised the event: “This event has been a success.”

Vision 2030 and the Future of Esports

Mike McCabe explained that Vision 2030 aims to diversify Saudi Arabia’s GDP by developing a national video-gaming and esports sector. Sociologist Nicolas Besombes noted that “there are very few protests; currently, no one publicly speaks out on the issue.”

Beyond Traditional Sports

Organisers invested in massive street and metro advertising campaigns and invited personalities such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Michelin-starred chef Philippe Etchebest. This strategy shows that Saudi Arabia seeks to position itself as a global esports powerhouse while addressing human-rights criticisms.