Esports World Cup’s Paris move marks the city as a rising esports capital

The Esports World Cup (EWC) is leaving Saudi Arabia for the first time, and it’s going to Paris. From July 6 to August 23rd, the top players across 24 game titles will gather together in the French capital, fighting not only for glory but also to win a share of the $75 million prize pool.

Paris is no stranger to hosting major esports events. The city just came from hosting the RLCS Major last month and became the fighting ground for VALORANT teams during VCT Champions in 2025. It also saw a successful inaugural Evo event in 2025, and the massive fighting game event will return to France this October.

The Esports World Cup, however, will be a different kind of test. It won’t be just a singular event; it will gather together over 200 clubs, thousands of players,, and with all the attention from sponsors, publishers, media, and fans, after the recent relocation announcement, pulling this off could raise Paris’ status as an esports hub to a whole new level.

When it comes to esports competitions in recent years, there is nothing quite like the size of the EWC. Tournaments take place across seven weeks, each coming with dedicated broadcasts and coverage. 

While most publishers have perfected the single event formula, hosting the EWC poses a whole new challenge. Saudi Arabia has been trying to refine its operations over the past three years (if you consider Gamers8 a multi-title event). 

Paris is now required to make it work on short notice, in a year where the esports calendar is filled to the brim, up until the end of the Esports Nations Cup later this November. If the event goes well, Paris will be seen as a city capable of hosting esports at industry scale for extended periods, essentially putting it on par with Riyadh while also carrying the prestige of other leading destinations like Shanghai or Seoul.

Over the past years, France has been steadily establishing itself as one of the leading esports countries in Europe. Through the country’s Esport Strategy, it has been able to build the needed infrastructure, including tournament organizers, publishers, agencies, clubs, and most importantly, the public institutions to support them. 

In particular, the political support was relevant in the destination for this year’s EWC. Esports Foundation’s CEO Ralf Reichert met with French president Emmanuel Macron, who then proceeded to announce a special task force, mobilizing all government services, including a member of the interministerial delegate for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Support for the industry is not limited to the top level. France has created specific employment frameworks for professional esports players, easing access for foreign players to obtain visas (a very large issue in other countries). This last point, in particular, has played a crucial role in the relocation: given the logistical and time constraints, having players compete at the event is a top priority.

At the economic level, esports events in France are now treated just like traditional sports and cultural events, having lowered the VAT on event tickets to 5.5% at the start of 2024. 

All these policies required careful review and alignment. So if Paris got to be the primary choice for the EWC, it’s thanks to the work the country has built for nearly a decade. 

There is also another element that cannot be built through policies alone: the audience. France is known for having one of the most passionate esports fanbases in the world. Whether it is League of Legends, VALORANT, Rocket League, Counter-Strike, or fighting games, French crowds have shown they will turn those events into spectacles, mimicking the intensity seen in traditional sports.

According to French journalist Ethan Cohen, the main reason for such a strong esports fan culture is the natural connection between content creators and competition. 

He explained that personalities like Corentin “Gotaga” Houssein and Kamel “Kameto” Kebir, who were already established content creators, went on to build their own clubs, namely Gentlemates and Karmine Corp, which were built around their image, personality, and community.

“Another important factor is authenticity,” he added to Esports Insider. “These content creators and influencers are genuinely passionate about esports. Many of them started in esports or had a real connection to competitive gaming from the beginning…They do it because they are passionate, and because they know that if their passion is real, people will follow them on that journey.”

For the EWC, it’s probably the best audience you can ask for. The multi-title event needs fans who are willing to come and watch their favorite teams and players, using that passion to hype the venues. And with Karmine Corp recently added to the Club Partner Program, seeing big crowds is basically guaranteed. 

That fan element also gives the EWC something that Saudi Arabia has struggled with over the past years: organic noise. Even though the latter proved it had the scale and production, it wasn’t quite able to replicate the atmosphere seen in other top esports events on the calendar.

There is also an overlooked aspect when looking at the EWC. In a digital-focused fanbase like esports, time zones have always been a key factor in driving viewership. While the previous Saudi timezone wasn’t too bad for most viewers, hosting the event in Paris will definitely be an advantage for the majority of Western viewers. The most affected viewers are the ones on Eastern time, so it will come down to the organizers to figure out the sweet spot for the most important matches. 

I wouldn’t say it’s the only one. Esports is too fragmented for a single city to own that title outright. 

Cities like Shanghai and Seoul will remain key destinations for the vast majority of Asian competitions. Europe has its fair share of hosting cities, such as Berlin, Madrid, and Cologne. Riyadh is still trying to enter the conversation through its large investments. 

But Paris is raising its status by hosting the EWC. The French capital has been given the rare opportunity of hosting a seven-week event, something that only Riyadh has done so far. If it can deliver under the short timeline and logistical pressure while also recording strong attendance numbers, it will be a testament to its credibility, support, and infrastructure, making it a leader in the industry. The country has spent years building the foundations for this moment.

Now, it will all come down to execution.