When will the Rainbow Six Siege Esports World Cup 2026 start answered

Following the BLAST R6 Major Salt Lake City, which was won by DarkZero Esports, teams headed back to their respective regions to take part in the regional top flights. The first stage of the season is still on-going and will determine the teams that will compete at the Esports World Cup 2026.

As of now, the Esports World Cup is the second-biggest Rainbow Six Siege event of the calendar. With a total prize pool of USD$2M and a spot at the Six Invitational 2027 given to the winner, the Esports World Cup 2026 can't be ignored.

Due to the on-going conflict in the Middle East, the Esports World Cup 2026, which was originally planned to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was temporarily moved to Paris, France. Therefore, this means that the French capital will host two international Rainbow Six Siege events in 2026, with the first one being the Six Invitational 2026.

The Rainbow Six Siege Esports World Cup 2026 will start on August 4, 2026, and will be played until August 15, 2026. The official calendar has yet to be revealed, but we know that the Finals will be played from August 13 to August 15, 2026. Similar to previous BLAST R6 Majors, the Esports World Cup playoffs follow a single-elimination format with BO3 matches. The grand final, however, is a BO5 clash.

Including 22 teams, the Esports World Cup 2026 will be the tournament with the most teams since the BLAST R6 Major Atlanta, which also included 22 teams. Here's how spots have been distributed accross regions:

• BLAST R6 Europe and MENA League 2026 Stage 1: 4 spots
• BLAST R6 North America League 2026 Stage 1: 4 spots
• BLAST R6 South America League 2026 Stage 1: 4 spots
• CN League 2026 Stage 1: 4 spots
• BLAST R6 Oceania League 2026 Stage 1: 2 spots
• BLAST Asia League 2026 Stage 1: 1 spot
• BLAST R6 APAC North 2026 Stage 1: 1 spot
• Esports World Cup 2025 Champion Invite: Team Secret
• Road to Esports World Cup 2026 MENA Qualifier: 1 spot

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