The Esports World Cup has entered into a multi-year partnership with the online platform Kolex to release its first official line of trading cards. This initiative aims to bring a century-old tradition from traditional sports (such as baseball, football, or Formula 1) into the world of esports, creating a new connection between fans and players.
Since the EWC brings together tournaments from various gaming disciplines, the new collection will also be multidisciplinary. A single set will feature esports athletes and clubs from across the different games included in the event's program.
The inaugural series is dedicated to standout participants of the EWC 2025 tournament and is divided into six categories: Legends, MVPs, Rookies, Centurions, Prestige, along with the unique one-of-one Elite and Chronicles cards. A special feature of the collection is that the design and availability of the rarest cards will depend on the actual results and highlight moments of the ongoing EWC 2026 tournament.
The collection was introduced in two box formats:
However, technical issues arose during the launch of sales. Initially, the sets were listed as sold out on the official Esports World Cup online store, and a few hours later, the product pages were completely removed, returning a "page not found" error.
Despite this, the organizers have big plans. Throughout the seven-week tournament, the EWC and Kolex plan to host public pack openings, player autograph sessions, and limited-edition card releases directly at the arena. Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer of The Esports Foundation, emphasized that these cards will turn championship moments into lasting collectibles and become part of the tournament's legacy.
The EWC's move reflects a global trend in the industry. Other major players are also investing in physical cards: Riot Games released the trading card game Riftbound and created a limited-edition collection in collaboration with the South Korean organization T1. Meanwhile, French esports clubs Karmine Corp (developers of the game Blue Rising) and Gentle Mates have likewise made physical collectible cards their new line of business.
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