Esports World Cup 2026: $75M Prize Pool Confirmed, Street Fighter 6 Dates Locked
The Esports World Cup (EWC) has officially unveiled its 2026 roadmap, confirming a record-breaking $75 million total prize pool for the summer festival in Riyadh.
Key Takeaways:
- Dates Confirmed: Street Fighter 6 takes the main stage from July 28–31, while Tekken 8 follows shortly after during the week of August 3–9.
- Defending Titans: Xiaohai returns as the reigning Street Fighter 6 champion following his narrow victory over Blaz in 2025, while Ulsan enters as the defender for Tekken 8.
- Club Championship Stakes: The Club Championship prize pool has increased to $30 million, heavily incentivizing teams to field top talent across all fighting game titles.
The Road to Riyadh 2026
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced that the 2026 edition of the event will run from July 6 to August 23. The Fighting Game Community remains a cornerstone of the festival, with Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 positioned as marquee events in the middle of the eight-week schedule.
The financial stakes have reached new heights with a $75 million total purse, a $5 million increase over the 2025 iteration. For fighting game competitors, the individual game championships are expected to maintain their lucrative $1 million prize pools, but the real pressure lies in the $30 million Club Championship. This team-based metric forces organizations to secure consistent high placements, making multi-game specialists and consistent bracket runners more valuable than ever.
"The life-changing prize pool exists to support the people at the heart of esports: the players and the Clubs that invest in them year after year. EWC crowns the ultimate cross-game Club Champion." — Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation
A Summer of Sequels
For Street Fighter 6, all eyes will be on Xiaohai. The Chinese legend secured the 2025 trophy in a dramatic 5-4 grand final set against Blaz, cementing his legacy as one of the most versatile players in history. With the tournament scheduled for July 28–31, players will have ample time to adjust to any mid-year balance patches before flying to Saudi Arabia.
Shortly after, Tekken 8 will take over the venue from August 3–9. Ulsan, who dominated the 2025 bracket to claim the title, returns as the man to beat. The schedule spacing allows for maximum viewership overlap, ensuring that the FGC audience can tune in for back-to-back weeks of high-level competition without fatigue.
SNK's Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is also confirmed to return, kicking off the festivities in early July.
| Game Title | Schedule Dates | Defending Champion (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves | July 7 – July 10 | GO1 |
| Street Fighter 6 | July 28 – July 31 | Xiaohai |
| Tekken 8 | August 3 – August 9 | Ulsan |
What’s Next
Qualifiers for the "Road to Riyadh" are expected to begin later this spring. Publishers are likely to integrate EWC qualification spots into their existing pro circuits, ensuring that the bracket is filled with current top performers rather than just legacy invites. Tickets for the live event in Riyadh are set to go on sale starting January 22.
Source: Esports World Cup