Move from Riyadh to Paris
The Esports World Cup concluded in Paris on Sunday after seven weeks of competition, with China-based AG.AL winning the club championship worth €7 million. French player Gwendal “Gwen” Duparc won the Trackmania final, earning $130 000 (€111 500) and securing the club prize. The tournament, moved from Riyadh to Paris due to the Middle East war, saw over 2 000 players from 200 clubs across 100 countries.
Presence of dignitaries
French President Emmanuel Macron presented the trophy to the winning team at the closing ceremony, which also hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The move was justified by organizers, who cited logistical difficulties related to visas and flights.
Remarkable performances
Among other successes, Chinese team BaiSha Gaming won the CrossFire title, defeating defending champions AG.AL before sweeping Team Liquid 3-0. In Fortnite Reload, the duo vic0 (Taylor-Petrik “vic0” Gatschelhofer) and Malibuca (Danila “Malibuca” Iakovenko) captured the championship and $260 000, becoming the first in the game to win two consecutive major in-person tournaments.
Economic impact and future
Organizers announced 175 000 tickets sold, a 94 % increase over 2025. Esports Foundation CEO Mike McCabe said the Paris success demonstrated the event’s ability to operate beyond Saudi Arabia. The tournament will return to Riyadh in 2027, while the Nations Cup, originally slated for November in Riyadh, is postponed to next year.
Reactions from French teams
Danny Engels, Team Vitality’s international director, highlighted the emotion of seeing his Mobile Legends women’s squad win again. The relocation gave French teams an unexpected home-court advantage.
