India, May 20 -- Paris is getting ready for a serious esports level up. The Esports World Cup 2026 will be held in the French capital from July 6 to August 23, making Paris the first host city outside Riyadh for the event.

The Esports Foundation said the shift follows an extended review and comes in light of the current regional situation. The group also said the move speeds up its plan to rotate the tournament across global markets while keeping the format, scale, and competition structure in place.

For esports fans, this is a big map change. Riyadh has been the home base of the Esports World Cup, but Paris now becomes its first international stop. That gives the event a new audience, a new live setting, and a fresh test of how well it...