Riyadh, February 6
The Esports World Cup Foundation launched the global Road to EWC qualification program for the Esports World Cup 2026, according to a statement. Featuring more than 230 tournaments across every major esports region and competition level, Road to EWC 2026 connects publisher-led leagues, elite international events, and endemic qualifiers into a single season-long pathway, culminating at the Esports World Cup 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 6 through to August 23, 2026.
By unifying qualifications across multiple games and publisher ecosystems within one global calendar, Road to EWC creates clear opportunities for players and Clubs, from grassroots to pros, to compete on the world's biggest esports stage, while providing fans a transparent, year-round calendar to follow. The structure is designed to support competitive integrity, long-term investment, and the sustainable growth of the global esports industry.
"Road to EWC brings together the journeys that shape competitive esports," said Faisal Bin Homran, Chief Product Officer of the Esports World Cup Foundation.
"By creating a defined qualification season, it gives the whole industry the confidence to plan; players can focus on performance, Clubs can commit resources earlier, publishers can align their ecosystems, and fans know when and where the biggest moments will happen. If we keep building together, we will grow the sport in a way that is sustainable, inclusive and truly global," he added.
The Road to EWC is integrated into the global esports ecosystem, utilising official leagues and premier tournaments as qualification pathways to EWC 2026. This includes events and ecosystems such as Apex Legends Global Series, Capcom Cup, the Chess.com Global Championship, Combo Breaker, CROSSFIRE Pro League, EA Sports FC Pro, EVO, Free Fire World Series, Fortnite Reload Elite Series, King Pro League (Honor of Kings), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang MWI 2026, Overwatch Champions Series, PUBG Global Series, PUBG MOBILE Global Open, Rocket League Championship Series, the SNK World Championship (Fatal Fury), TEKKEN World Tour Finals, and the official esports circuits for Call of Duty, League of Legends, Fortnite, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, Trackmania, and VALORANT.
Open online qualifiers and community competitions will run across Call of Duty: Warzone, Dota 2, Teamfight Tactics, and Chess, providing accessible routes to qualification for grassroots players that want to compete alongside the best of the best from official circuits.
All qualifying competitions create a unified Esports World Cup calendar, allowing fans to follow progression from regional events through to the final stage in Riyadh. Throughout the season, the Road to EWC multi-channel marketing campaign will deliver match highlights, pro player interviews and feature stories, live streams and VODs, alongside on-site coverage from influencers and creators attending priority events across multiple titles.
In 2025, more than 2,500 players qualified through the Road to EWC, representing over 100 countries and more than 200 Clubs. A 15-year-old Free Fire prodigy in Rasyah "Rasyah" Rasyid became the youngest winner in EWC history. Greats like EA FC champion Manuel "ManuBachoore" Bachoore and Street Fighter legend Zeng "Xiao Hai" Zhuojun cemented their legacies in gold. Team Falcons secured their second Club Championship in close fashion thanks to an unlikely team of heroes; their Overwatch 2 roster, who qualified through the Last Chance Qualifier and claimed the OWCS Midseason Championship. New stories will be written in 2026.
A dedicated Road to EWC hub on esportsworldcup.com will feature all qualification events, including dates, locations, formats, and viewing options, with opportunities for fans to follow their teams and players across the season.
- ANI
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