The inaugural 2026 Esports World Cup in Paris has crossed its halfway mark, delivering a blend of veteran dominance, record-shattering performances, and historic firsts across diverse gaming titles. Featuring over 2,000 players from 100 countries, the event is establishing a new standard for competitive gaming, bridging digital entertainment with traditional sports culture through extensive engagement.
Chess Grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi & Nihal Sarin Face Off in All-Indian Group Stage Opener
The Group Stage of Chess at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 got underway, with 16 of the world’s leading players beginning their campaigns for the title and a share of the $1.5 million (~INR 14.3 crore) prize pool.
In Group A, India’s only Chess representatives at EWC 2025, Grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin, will take on each other in a repeat of last year’s Group Stage opener, while another Indian Grandmaster, Pranesh M, will begin his campaign against Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Elsewhere, Polish Grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda will face Benjamin Bok, who qualified through the India Rising qualifier. EWC 2025 runner-up Alireza Firouzja will take on Wei Yi, who secured his place through the Last Chance Qualifier and Play-Ins, in another rematch of last year’s Group Stage.
Group B features defending champion Magnus Carlsen of Team Liquid, who will begin his title defence against Andrey Esipenko, who advanced through the Play-Ins. American speed-chess icon Hikaru Nakamura will face Alexey Sarana, who is making his EWC group stage debut. Hans Moke Niemann, representing Indian organization GodLike Esports, takes on Ian Nepomniachtchi, who reached the EWC Playoffs last year. The group’s remaining opening match will see tournament’s group stage debutants Denis Lazavik and Sina Movahed face each other.
Official Trading Card Collection, Paris Apparel Collection & Player Jackets
The Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC) unveiled its first official Trading Card Collection alongside its Paris-inspired apparel collection and exclusive Player Jackets, bringing one of global sport’s most enduring traditions to competitive gaming and creating new symbols of esports culture.
The launches are part of the EWC’s inaugural international edition in Paris, where more than 2,000 players representing 200 Clubs from over 100 countries are competing over seven weeks at the world’s largest esports and gaming event.
Developed with Kolex, the inaugural trading card collection celebrates the players and Clubs of the world’s largest esports and gaming event, giving fans a new way to own a piece of esports history.
Inspired by Paris and visual traditions synonymous with global sport, the apparel collections and jackets commemorate the first international edition of EWC and celebrate the players and communities shaping competitive gaming.
“Every Esports World Cup creates unforgettable champions, breakout stars and defining moments,” said Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer, The Esports Foundation. “Our trading cards turn those moments into lasting collectibles, giving fans around the world a new way to celebrate the players and Clubs at the heart of the competition while building a collection that will become part of the tournament’s legacy. The EWC26 Paris Collection is inspired by Paris, but it’s ultimately about the people who make the Esports World Cup what it is: the players, Clubs and communities who come together here every summer.”
15-Yr-Old Street Fighter 6 Sensation Craime Becomes Youngest Champion in Tournament History
Week 4 of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 is done, and the halfway point of the overall competition is officially crossed. Saturday saw a regional first winner in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), while Street Fighter 6 (SF6) saw a teenager claim the trophy. Sunday saw two more titles handed out, as Call of Duty (COD): Warzone saw a team be rewarded for sticking together, while in Overwatch, a back-and-forth affair between two top sides resulted in one player claiming a second EWC title.
The highlight of the week came in SF6, which delivered an unbelievable ending as Team Falcons’ Jaime “Craime” Bustos claimed the title at just 15 years, two months, and 25 days old. The young rising star has already made an impression on the fighting games world since his competitive debut in 2024. However he has now taken the next step with this victory by becoming the youngest-ever EWC title winner, and a real surprise of the tournament. The Chilean youngster was dominant in the final, claiming a 5-2 win against Japanese player Hibiki. Craime lost the first round but recovered well to take the series.
Along with becoming the youngest SF6 at EWC 2026 champion, and the youngest EWC winner to date, Craime walks away with $250,000 (~INR 2.3 crore), qualification for Capcom Cup 13, and 1,000 Club Championship points for Team Falcons.
Having secured the biggest win of his life so far, Craime said, “I’m very, very happy for my win, and I can’t wait to go back to Chile. This isn’t just me, this is everyone who comes in and helps me. I can’t wait to share this with them.”
Orangutan & GodLike Esports First-Ever Indian Teams to Reach PMWC Grand Finals
Week 5 of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 delivered a historic milestone for Indian esports, as Orangutan and GodLike Esports became the first-ever Indian teams to qualify for the PUBG Mobile World Cup (PMWC) Grand Finals. Elsewhere, Kuaishou Gaming claimed the Honor of Kings World Cup, AG.AL’s M. Zubair completed a remarkable TEKKEN 8 run from the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) to become the first recipient of the Jafonso Award at EWC 2026, while OpTic Gaming secured back-to-back EWC titles in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The week also saw a major, and somewhat unexpected, change at the top of the Club Championship that could have massive ramifications for the closing weeks.
The PMWC group stage saw Orangutan and GodLike Esports both securing their places in the Grand Finals after finishing among the top five in their respective groups. The 32-team field was divided into two groups of 16, with each team playing 12 matches. Orangutan finished second in Group A with 91 points, just 16 behind group leaders 4Thrives, while GodLike Esports finished third in Group B with 105 points and 73 finishes, the second-highest tally in their group. The Grand Finals will now take place from August 14 to 16, with the two Indian teams now set to compete for the PMWC title and a share of the $ 3 million (~INR 28.5 crore) prize pool.
In the Honor of Kings World Cup, Kuaishou Gaming arrived as the challengers to the throne and left as kings. In what was one of the closest finals of the weekend, Kuaishou Gaming took down reigning EWC champions AG.AL in a thrilling 4-3 series victory to claim the trophy.
“I have so much inside of me I want to say, because back in the time when we were in China, in the KPL, we were facing so many obstacles and ups and downs,” said JuHao, following Kuaishou Gaming’s win. “We kinda lost our confidence and faith in us, and I believe this title will be one motivation for us to fight harder. I believe we’ve got the best team, best players, best coaches. Thank you so much for having us here in Paris.”
In what was the highlight of the week, TEKKEN 8 crowned its most unlikely champion yet, and the first Jafonso Award of EWC 2026, which is awarded to players who win an event after qualifying through the LCQ. Khawaja “M. Zubair” Muhammad Zubair, the latest recipient of the award, battled through the gruelling LCQ and took down big names on his route to the TEKKEN 8 at EWC 2026 title.
During his run, AG AL player M. Zubair beat the legendary Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique twice, once in the Group Stage and again in the semifinals. After defeating Arslan Ash in the semifinals, M. Zubair beat out Yoon “LowHigh” Sun-woong in the Grand Final with a decisive 5-0 sweep. M. Zubair walks away with a $250,000 (~INR 2.3 crore) share of the prize pool, an additional $50,000 (~INR47.6 lakh) for the Jafonso Award, and 1,000 influential Club Championship points on behalf of his Club, AG AL.
Speaking on how he managed the 5-0 triumph, M.Zubair said, “I worked really hard, and I had full faith that I can win this. And with my dedication, and my practice, I think I was able to achieve this.”
As the tournament moves toward its final weeks, the 2026 Esports World Cup continues to elevate the global standard for competitive excellence. With new legends crowned and intense competition in the Club Championship standings, the event is defining a monumental legacy for international esports.
