Esports Foundation

🏆At 15 years, two months, and 25 days old, Jaime "Craime" Bustos has become the youngest EWC champion ever, winning the Street Fighter 6 at EWC 2026 competition after a thrilling grand finale. 🥊The Street Fighter 6 prodigy made his way to the grand final by taking down much more experienced pros, and faced off against veteran Japanese fighter, Hibiki, in the grand final. Hibiki himself had an epic journey, having qualified for the main event through the Last Chance Qualifier, being one of five players to make it through out of 269 competitors. 🌪️Craime dominated the final, however, as he was the first to win five games after just seven bouts. Hibiki took the first, but Craime was able to draw the series and kept the momentum going as he beat out his rival using his favoured Ryu. 🥷The historic winner made his way to the grand finals by taking down not one, but two EVO winners on his path. After only losing a single game during the group stages, Craime took down EVO 2026 winner Saul Leonardo "MenaRD" Mena II in the quarterfinals, as well as EVO Japan 2026 winner Eisuke “Yamaguchi” Yamaguchi in the semis. 🇨🇱 When asked if there was something special about Chile and the fighting game scene, Craime said, “You know, in Chile, there’s the power.” 🔥Along with becoming the youngest SF6 at EWC 2026 champion, and the youngest EWC winner to date, Craime walks away with $250,000, qualification for Capcom Cup 13, and 1,000 Club Championship points for Team Falcons. That takes Falcons up to the top of the Club Championship standings at the end of Saturday, with the two-time defending champions once again looking like the team to beat. 🥉Yamaguchi took on another 15-year old, Hinao, in the fight for third place. Using Sagat, Hinao triumphed over Yamaguchi’s Mai in the best-of-nine, locking in a third-place finish and $70,000 in winnings for his Esports World Cup tournament. #EsportsWorldCup2026 #ewc2026 #StreetFighter6 #SF6 #Paris #France #esports #gaming

🏆The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup has come to a close, and Team Spirit have claimed the trophy following a hard-fought grand final where they walk away with the $1,000,000 grand prize, the MSC trophy, and 1,000 Club Points 🐉Team Spirit's victory marks the first time an Eastern European and Central Asia regional team has won an international trophy in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and will no doubt help level up MLBB across the region. 📱The grand final was a closely fought series, as Burmese team Yangon Galacticos put up a hefty fight. Team Spirit were able to get to match point after game four, with the score at 3-1, but Yangon Galacticos were able to claw back two games in a row, tying up the series, and forcing a decisive final game. 🪭Team Spirit kept their cool, and were able to dominate the final game, as Yangon Galacticos were barely able to put anything up on the scoreboard. And with a commanding display, Team Spirit were able to lock down the title. 📢Team Spirit's Zaur "zaur egoist" Magomadov was asked what he wants to achieve next in MLBB, he replied, “It’s very hard to say. Of course, we’ll keep working. I want to win more, like the M-Series. I want to say thanks to my family, especially to my mom because she always supports me. And thank you to all my haters! Welcome to Team Spirit!" 🧙Mathaios "Kid Bomba" Chatzilakos from Team Spirit was awarded the Sony MVP award for his performance throughout the tournament. "I don't think I did more than [my team], if anything, they did more than me, so I'm so grateful for this award." 🥉Ahead of the grand finals, ONIC Esports took on Team Falcons PH in the battle for third place. The best of five saw ONIC sweep through their rivals with a 3-0 finish. Aggressive plays from ONIC saw the team barge ahead, and they locked in third place in under 50 minutes of game time. MOONTON GAMES #EsportsWorldCup2026 #ewc206 #MLBB #MSC #esports #gaming

Four weeks in, and the 2026 Esports World Cup is raising the stakes. This weekend, four more championships will be decided, and trophies will be handed out to deserving winners. Of course, as more champions are decided, the Club Championship race becomes clearer and clearer. Right now, only 500 points separate the top four teams, so one good performance this weekend could see any contending team take the top spot. Here's what's on the line: ⌚OWCS Midseason Championship - Sixteen teams, one trophy. Kim "Proper" Dong-hyun chases back-to-back Midseason gold, this time with ZETA DIVISION after leaving last year's winners Team Falcons. 🪂 Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence Series - Thirty-two trios drop in for the first-ever Resurgence Series Championship, hosted here at the Esports World Cup. LAN-sweeping Team Falcons are the team to beat, with 2025 EWC Warzone winners Twisted Minds back to defend their title with a brand new roster. 📱 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup - With $3 million on the line, the stakes are rising with every game. Team Falcons PH and Yangon Galacticos have already booked semi-final spots, and are just a couple of games away from glory. 🥊 Street Fighter 6 - Thirty-two of the world's best fighters are here to compete, with one throne for the taking. Back-to-back EVO champion MenaRD is the man to beat, but 15-year-old Hinao has been the biggest surprise so far with a dominant opening day. 📈 The Club Championship race is firmly on, but this weekend could shake things up. NAVI hold the top spot on 2,250 points but do not play this weekend, leaving the door ajar for potential challengers. Virtus.pro (1,950) and Team Vitality (1,800) are both in action and ready to pounce, while defending Club champions Team Falcons, in sixth on 1,300 points, are entered in three of the four events and favoured in one. With four trophies up for grabs, the top of the table could look very different by Sunday night. #EsportsWorldCup2026 #ewc2026 #Paris #France #gaming #esports

🔥 Today we announce a landmark partnership with adidas to outfit every national team at the ENC. This partnership marks a defining moment for the future of esports. 🌍 More than 100 countries and territories will take the global stage wearing custom national jerseys designed by one of the world's most iconic sports brands. More than 2,000 players and coaches competing across 16 of the world's biggest esports titles will represent their nations in adidas apparel. 🏆 National team kits have always represented identity, pride, and belonging. They create moments that players remember forever and give fans a symbol they can rally behind. Bringing that tradition into esports is another important step in the evolution of our industry. “National team jerseys carry identity, pride and the ambition of an entire country or territory,” said Mohammad Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer, Esports Foundation. “By partnering with adidas, one of the most iconic brands in global sport, we are giving esports athletes the opportunity to represent their nations on the world stage with the same sense of meaning and prestige seen across traditional sport. This partnership will help the Esports Nations Cup create powerful national moments and inspire a new generation of players and fans.” “At adidas, we’ve spent decades outfitting athletes at the world’s biggest sporting events, and we understand the role a jersey plays in identity, belonging and competition,” said Phillip Waller, adidas SVP Brand Development. “The Esports Nations Cup gives us the opportunity to bring that experience into esports at a global scale.” The Esports Nations Cup introduces the missing national layer in esports, complementing the Club ecosystem that has defined competitive gaming for more than two decades. By giving players the opportunity to represent their countries and territories, we're creating new stories, new rivalries, and a platform that can inspire future generations while strengthening esports ecosystems around the world. 👕 We're proud to welcome adidas as both the Official Kit Partner and a Global Partner of the Esports Nations Cup, and we're excited to reveal the national team jerseys in the coming weeks. #Esports #EsportsNationsCup #adidas #Gaming #SportsBusiness

Paris is getting ready to play. 🇫🇷🎮 🎉 On August 2, the Champs-Élysées will become the stage for the largest free public celebration of gaming and esports ever held in France, as the Esports Festival by the Esports World Cup brings together the country's biggest creators, entertainers, musicians and esports icons for an unforgettable afternoon in the heart of Paris. 🎮 Hosted by Doigby and Kayané, the festival will feature Bigflo & Oli, Amine, Samuel Étienne, Billy, Tatiana, Ana On Air, Kameto, Neo, Brawks, and YellowStar, competing in mixed teams alongside professional esports players Itachi, Nass and Vatira in live exhibition tournaments across EA SPORTS FC 26, Rocket League and Trackmania. "As the Esports World Cup comes to Paris for the first time, we wanted to create an event that belongs to the city as much as the competition itself," said Mike McCabe, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer at the Esports Foundation. "The Esports Festival brings together the creators, musicians, players and personalities who have helped shape gaming culture in France today, opening esports to new audiences while celebrating the communities that have driven its growth." 🇫🇷 Co-created with the Comité Champs-Élysées, the festival extends the Esports World Cup beyond the competition venue, bringing together gaming culture on one of the world's most iconic avenues. While the world's best players compete throughout the summer at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, the Esports Festival invites Parisians, visitors, and fans alike to experience the energy of the Esports World Cup in the center of the city. See you on the Champs-Élysées. #EsportsWorldCup #EsportsFestival #Paris #Gaming #Esports #Creators #ChampsElysees #EWC2026

This week, as part of the EWC 2026 Paris citywide activation programme, we hosted a weekend of community events at La Maison de l'Esport, bringing together fans, players, and industry professionals in France through shared experiences around gaming and esports. We welcomed Women in Games France to lead Career Mode On, a panel and an opening networking session exploring careers in the industry and the realities of working in esports, from competition and broadcasting to media. A special thank you to Women in Games France, Anna Bressan, Ève Monvoisin (Colomblbl), Raphaëlle Cordes (Nabius), Velouria Baty (Viki) and Mathieu Gaudé (Greatreflex) for sharing their experiences. Creating opportunities to discover new pathways into the industry is an important part of the EWC 2026. Alongside world-class competition, our city-wide programme in Paris is designed to celebrate the communities and people that keep shaping the future of esports. #EsportsWorldCup2026 #ewc2026 #Paris #France #esports #gaming

🎯 Esports World Cup 2026 Grand Finale to Be Staged to Paris' Historic Accor Arena with Counter-Strike 2 Championship Final 🇫🇷  Counter-Strike returns to Paris in style, for the first time since the final CS:GO Major, to crown the Club Championship winner and close out the world’s largest esports and gaming event on its biggest stage yet. 🏆 Staging the Counter-Strike 2 Championship Final at Accor Arena extends the EWC 2026 beyond Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, bringing the tournament's concluding championship into one of the city's most recognised sporting venues and reinforcing Paris as the stage for the world's leading esports event. 🏟️ The return to the Accor Arena marks a historic moment for the community. It was here in 2023 that the final CS:GO Major took place: a legendary tournament that saw Team Vitality claim glory in front of a home crowd. Now, CS2 returns to Paris to crown another champion. 🎯 At EWC 2026, CS2 expands to 32 teams and a two-week duration, featuring a double-elimination group stage followed by a single-elimination Playoffs bracket, and preceded by a massive 128-team open qualifier taking place in Paris from August 7-9, which will determine the field’s final four teams. Teams will compete for a $2 million prize pool, tying for the largest in Counter-Strike 2 history, and with contenders like Team Falcons, Team Vitality, and Natus Vincere in the mix, the fate of the EWC 2026 Club Championship could be decided in the final. 🎟️ Tickets for the Counter-Strike 2 Grand Finals at Accor Arena are live now. #EsportsWorldCup2026 #ewc2026 #CS2 #CounterStrike #Paris #AccorArena #Esports #Gaming

⚡ Lenovo Powers Esports World Cup 2026 as a Founding Partner with expanded integration across competition technology at the world’s largest esports event  💻 As EWC expands into the international stage, Lenovo joins the EWC’s Founding Partner roster, bringing its latest Legion desktop PCs and monitors to competition arenas, training facilities, broadcast studios, and festival spaces during the seven-week event. “We are looking forward to welcoming Lenovo as a Global Founding Partner for the Esports World Cup 2026 as we are bringing thousands of players and millions of fans to Paris this summer,” said Mohammad Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer of the Esports Foundation. “Behind every great esports moment is world-class technology. Across seven weeks of competition, thousands of matches and countless player setups, Lenovo’s cutting-edge innovation will help power the experience for players, fans and broadcasts alike. We are proud to partner with a global technology leader that shares our ambition to deliver esports at its very best.” “As one of the largest gaming brands in the world, we are immensely proud to have Lenovo Legion devices powering the world’s largest esports event,” said Volker Düring, VP & GM, Gaming Business, Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo. “Lenovo’s partnership with EWC reflects a shared commitment to enable top esports athletes to use Legion’s premier gaming devices to compete at the highest levels on the largest esports stage.” 🏆 Legion branding will appear across EWC 2026 broadcasts and onsite experiences, including the Legion Gauntlet stage and dedicated festival zones featuring Legion laptops, tablets, and peripherals available for fans during the event. 🎮 As a Founding Partner for EWC 2026, Lenovo will also feature as a major part of this year’s global campaign, appearing across creative, broadcast and fan-facing content in the lead-up to and throughout the event. #EsportsWorldCup2026 #ewc2026 #Lenovo #LenovoLegion #Paris #France #esports #gaming

🏆Three weeks of competition at the Esports World Cup have concluded, and we've seen even more trophies awarded, millions in prize money given, and Club keys crushed. 🎉Three winners were etched into history this weekend, with the strategic action concluding in Teamfight Tactics, the ultimate Chicken Dinner was won in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, and EA FC 26 closed out the action. 🎯This week, further competition is on the way, as Overwatch and Call of Duty: Warzone bring the first-person action to the masses, while the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup heads to its conclusion, and fighting game fanatics won't want to miss Street Fighter 6. Here's what you may have missed: 🍳PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - Virtus.pro set the pace all weekend, and were the team to beat heading into the final day. They secured a monster 126 points by the end of day 2, setting the match point total at 136, and never let go of their lead. As the final day of competition made it through all six games, Virtus.pro lifted up the trophy after their consistency and patience paid off. ⚽EA FC Pro 26 World Championship - The EA FC 26 action saw two underdogs in the grand final compete for the Diogo Jota FC Pro World Championship trophy. Razvan "RvPLegend" Puiu and Levy "levyfinn" Rieck both made it to the finals through lengthy play-in runs, but it was RvPLegend who would claim victory in a grand final that was full of twists and turns. levyfinn was the slight favourite, but the 6-5 final score did both players justice. ♟️Teamfight Tactcs - The weekend saw Team Vision claim the trophy in the Teamfight Tactics competition, as they displayed a dominant 3-0 victory over Aurora Gaming. Both teams made it to the grand finals after lower bracket group stage runs, but it was Team Vision that was the better team, as they showcased superior tactics that earned them $150,000 and 1,000 Club Championship points in the process. 🏅Club Championship standings - After three weeks of competition, NAVI continue to lead the table with 2,250 points, however they won't be competing until the final week in Counter-Strike 2 and Trackmania. Virtus.pro follow in second place with 1,950 points, while Team Vitality are in third with 1,800 points. With several weeks of pulsating top-tier competition to go, the race for the Club Championship is on: who will take the lead? 📺 Watch live on YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. 🗓️ Full schedule and recaps on the EWC website. #EsportsWorldCup2026 #ewc2026 #Paris #France #esports #gaming

🛏️Hilton Named a Main Partner of the Esports World Cup 2026 as the Partnership Travels to Paris 🌍Continuing its role as hotel partner at EWC 2025, Hilton brings its signature hospitality to esports fans, EWC champions and Hilton Honors members as the world's largest esports event has arrived in Paris! 💎Through the EWC Heroes Club programme, EWC champions will be rewarded with Hilton Honors Diamond status allowing them to enjoy benefits at Hilton properties worldwide, tying competitive success at EWC to a tangible reward that extends well beyond Paris. “As the Esports World Cup comes to Paris, we want every player, fan and guest arriving from around the world to feel genuinely welcomed, and Hilton is the ideal partner to help us deliver that experience,” said François DESIR, Director, Sponsorship and Advertising, the Esports Foundation. “Having first brought its hospitality to EWC in Riyadh, Hilton now helps us carry that unique experience onto the international stage, and as the EWC continues to grow, we're proud to build that journey together." “Our partnership with the Esports Foundation continues to go from strength to strength, and we're excited to support this next chapter as the Esports World Cup comes to Paris,” said Darcy VanWyck, SVP & Commercial Director EMEA, Hilton. “At Hilton, we know it matters where you stay – and whether welcoming players or fans, we're committed to delivering the reliable and friendly service, memorable experiences and signature hospitality Hilton is known for." 🇫🇷 Throughout the Paris season, Hilton will continue to support EWC through content capturing the fan, VIP and influencer experience across its properties, brand presence at key event moments including a dedicated promotion of exclusive EWC opportunities to Hilton Honors members. #EsportsWorldCup2026 #ewc2026 #Hilton #Paris #France #esports #gaming