Esports World Cup 2026 moved to Paris confirmed

The Esports World Cup 2026, which was initially planned to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been confirmed to be moved to Paris, France, due to the on-going conflict in the Middle East. This decision was first reported by Gamesbeat's Alexander Lee.

Logically, this change means that the Rainbow Six Siege Esports World Cup 2026 will be played in the French capital. Therefore, Paris will host another S Tier Rainbow Six Siege event, only six months after hosting the Six Invitational 2026.

Although the tournament's length and format hasn't been revealed yet, the Esports World Cup 2026 official website indicates that the main phase will be played between August 11 and August 14. Therefore, we expect matches on those dates to be played in front of a crowd.

The Rainbow Six Siege Esports World Cup 2026 will include a USD$2M prize pool. It will include 22 teams; so far, the only confirmed team is Team Secret as they have been invited as defending champions.

It's worth noting that this year's edition of the Esports World Cup will give a Six Invitational 2027 spot to the winner. Therefore, although no SI Points will be given to the teams involved, the competition will offer a path to the Six Invitational 2027.

For more information about Rainbow Six Siege and its esports scene, make sure to check out Siege.GG.