From August 12 to 16, a major Rocket League tournament will take place in Paris as part of the Esports World Cup 2026. The competition will bring together 16 of the world's strongest teams, most of which earned their spots through the regional Stage 2 series, to compete for a $1,000,000 prize pool and EWC club points.
Hosting the tournament in Paris guarantees exceptional energy thanks to the passionate local crowd, which has already shown its support during the RLCS 2025 World Championship in Lyon and the RLCS 2026 Paris Major. French teams are traditionally considered among the main contenders for the trophy.
Main storylines of the competition:
- Defending champions: Karmine Corp enter as the winners of last year's tournament and holders of the Paris Major title.
- Revenge attempt: 2025 World Champions NRG will attempt to return to optimal form after a slump in results.
- Title contenders: Team Vitality and Team Falcons are aiming for a big victory, while the updated star roster of Twisted Minds (featuring French legend Evan "M0nkey M00n" Rogez) is ready to fight for the top spots.
The competition is divided into two main stages:
- Group stage (August 12–14): 16 teams are split into two groups with a Double-Elimination bracket. The top four teams from each group (two from the upper bracket and two from the lower bracket) will advance to the playoffs.
- Playoffs (August 15–16): Matches will be played in a Single-Elimination format featuring a third-place match.
The tournament results will be crucial for the overall Esports World Cup club standings:
- 1st place: $400,000 + 1,000 points
- 2nd place: $180,000 + 750 points
- 3rd place: $100,000 + 500 points
- 4th place: $60,000 + 300 points
- 5th–8th places: $35,000 each + 200 points
- 9th–12th places: $20,000 each
- 13th–16th places: $10,000 each
The live stream of the matches can be watched on YouTube, as well as on Twitch.
The next major stop of the season after EWC 2026 will be the World Championship 2026, taking place from September 15 to 20 at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
As a reminder, OpTic Gaming became the Esports World Cup 2026 champion in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.