The Esports World Cup (EWC) is leaving Saudi Arabia for the first time, and it’s going to Paris. From July 6 to August 23rd, the top players across 24 game titles will gather together in the French capital, fighting not only for glory but also to win a share of the $75 million prize pool.

Paris is no stranger to hosting major esports events. The city just came from hosting the RLCS Major last month and became the fighting ground for VALORANT teams during VCT Champions in 2025. It also saw a successful inaugural Evo event in 2025, and the massive fighting game event will return to France this October.

The Esports World Cup, however, will be a different kind of test. It won’t be just a singular event; it will gather together over 200 clubs, thousands of players,, and with all the attention from sponsors, publishers, media, and fans, after the recent relocation announcement, pulling this off could raise Paris’ status as an esports hub to a whole new level.

When it comes to esports competitions in recent years, there is nothing quite like the size of the EWC. Tournaments take place across seven weeks, each coming with dedicated broadcasts and coverage. 

While most publishers have perfected the single event formula, hosting the EWC poses a whole new challenge. Saudi Arabia has been trying to refine its operations over the past three years (if you consider Gamers8 a multi-title event). 

Paris is now required to make it work on short notice, in a year where the esports calendar is filled to the brim, up until the end of the Esports Nations Cup later this November. If the event goes well, Paris will be seen as a city capable of hosting esports at industry scale for extended periods, essentially putting it on par with Riyadh while also carrying the prestige of other leading destinations like Shanghai or Seoul.

Over the past years, France has been steadily establishing itself as one of the leading esports countries in Europe. Through the country’s Esport Strategy, it has been able to build the needed infrastructure, including tournament organizers, publishers, agencies, clubs, and most importantly, the public institutions to support them. 

In particular, the political support was relevant in the destination for this year’s EWC. Esports Foundation’s CEO Ralf Reichert met with French president Emmanuel Macron, who then proceeded to announce a special task force, mobilizing all government services, including a member of the interministerial delegate for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Support for the industry is not limited to the top level. France has created specific employment frameworks for professional esports players, easing access for foreign players to obtain visas (a very large issue in other countries). This last point, in particular, has played a crucial role in the relocation: given the logistical and time constraints, having players compete at the event is a top priority.

At the economic level, esports events in France are now treated just like traditional sports and cultural events, having lowered the VAT on event tickets to 5.5% at the start of 2024. 

All these policies required careful review and alignment. So if Paris got to be the primary choice for the EWC, it’s thanks to the work the country has built for nearly a decade. 

There is also another element that cannot be built through policies alone: the audience. France is known for having one of the most passionate esports fanbases in the world. Whether it is League of Legends, VALORANT, Rocket League, Counter-Strike, or fighting games, French crowds have shown they will turn those events into spectacles, mimicking the intensity seen in traditional sports.

According to French journalist Ethan Cohen, the main reason for such a strong esports fan culture is the natural connection between content creators and competition. 

He explained that personalities like Corentin “Gotaga” Houssein and Kamel “Kameto” Kebir, who were already established content creators, went on to build their own clubs, namely Gentlemates and Karmine Corp, which were built around their image, personality, and community.

“Another important factor is authenticity,” he added to Esports Insider. “These content creators and influencers are genuinely passionate about esports. Many of them started in esports or had a real connection to competitive gaming from the beginning…They do it because they are passionate, and because they know that if their passion is real, people will follow them on that journey.”

For the EWC, it’s probably the best audience you can ask for. The multi-title event needs fans who are willing to come and watch their favorite teams and players, using that passion to hype the venues. And with Karmine Corp recently added to the Club Partner Program, seeing big crowds is basically guaranteed. 

That fan element also gives the EWC something that Saudi Arabia has struggled with over the past years: organic noise. Even though the latter proved it had the scale and production, it wasn’t quite able to replicate the atmosphere seen in other top esports events on the calendar.

There is also an overlooked aspect when looking at the EWC. In a digital-focused fanbase like esports, time zones have always been a key factor in driving viewership. While the previous Saudi timezone wasn’t too bad for most viewers, hosting the event in Paris will definitely be an advantage for the majority of Western viewers. The most affected viewers are the ones on Eastern time, so it will come down to the organizers to figure out the sweet spot for the most important matches. 

I wouldn’t say it’s the only one. Esports is too fragmented for a single city to own that title outright. 

Cities like Shanghai and Seoul will remain key destinations for the vast majority of Asian competitions. Europe has its fair share of hosting cities, such as Berlin, Madrid, and Cologne. Riyadh is still trying to enter the conversation through its large investments. 

But Paris is raising its status by hosting the EWC. The French capital has been given the rare opportunity of hosting a seven-week event, something that only Riyadh has done so far. If it can deliver under the short timeline and logistical pressure while also recording strong attendance numbers, it will be a testament to its credibility, support, and infrastructure, making it a leader in the industry. The country has spent years building the foundations for this moment.

Now, it will all come down to execution.

There’s no simpler rivalry than a regional one, but after a decade of back-and-forth between North America and Europe – in particular, France – the RLCS Paris Major cemented that Rocket League came home.

Born out of a tiny studio in the US that was workshopping some extra mini games to port into Gears of War, Rocket League was born and raised in Satellite Beach, Florida. 

The deep roots of the ‘Soccar’ game as we know it were all American, from the game’s DNA to the first-ever RLCS World Championships in Los Angeles and the current World Champions, the high-octane game is the Texas Barbecue of American esports.

Or is it?

For nearly a decade, the grasp that the US had over the RLCS has been slipping, and off the back of two dynasties and the current creme de la creme of competitors, France has pulled the Uno reverse card out from the Statue of Liberty, and has stolen Rocket League from under Big Sam’s nose.

As expected, the US dominated Rocket League when it first came out, with the first RLCS World Championships going to the home teams in Los Angeles. But that prose was soon challenged by Europe, which had found a love for the game as it had for most esports, and the fabled, intertwined golden trophy began to be passed around from country to country.

That was, until Alexandre “Kaydop” Courant arrived. Known now as the Maradona or Babe Ruth of Soccar, Kaydop launched a dynasty that would span four years of dominance and six consecutive World Championship Grand Finals appearances, winning three and only having a fourth denied by the global pandemic. 

Fortunately for the US, the last Worlds before the lockdown was snatched from Kaydop’s hand by former teammate Pierre “Turbopolsa” Silfver, who had ported to America to bring the trophy back. 

But Kaydop’s brilliance brought a wave of aspiring young Frenchmen through to the RLCS, and backed by new communities and local tournament organisers (such as Rocket Baguette), the region was soon left waiting for the shackles of the pandemic to be lifted so that it could get back to the international stage. Although the legend himself had now passed the baton to Evan “M0nkey M00n” Rogez.

From there, the dubbed “Open Era” icon carried the French flame into battle against the US time after time again, and often came out on top. The inter-regional rivalry was alive and kicking, and France was on top more often than not. 

For years, North American Rocket League has faced one major issue. In Lehmann’s terms, the country is huge, and uprooting young teenagers, often school-age, to relocate them across the country to boot camps is almost impossible.

It’s a question I posed to Joseph “Noly” Kidd and Jack “ApparentlyJack” Benton three years ago, when the two British stars took the export route to play together in the States for Gen.G and won multiple titles and a Major. 

Back then, the only real competitive roster was G2 Esports, with Landon “BeastMode” Konerman, Daniel “Daniel” Piecenski, and Massimo “Atomic” Franceschi.

Fast forward to 2026, and the reigning World Champions are the exact same roster, albeit now operating under the NRG banner. Consistency combined with quality. Yet that’s almost impossible to replicate.

Noly claimed that for European players, it’s easy to move to a team facility, only a few hours away from home. Using NRG as an example, BeastMode is from Kentucky, a 32-hour drive, hardly a quick trip around the corner. It’s a complete overhaul of the senses.

Since the RLCS Open Era began, the talent pipeline in the US has been hard-stuck in Diamond. Exciting, young players burst onto the scene and immediately face the dilemma of being uprooted mid-11th Grade or putting Rocket League on the back burner. 

Case in point: 16-year-old Zachary “zach” Stone, formerly “Scrzbbles.” Having been slated as the next RLCS prodigy, he ‘retired’ from the game at the end of the 2025 season (then 15), citing schoolwork as the reason. He has since returned to the SpaceStation Gaming camp, but the summer off may have prevented him from becoming the centrepiece of an elite roster.

Across the pond, Team Vitality faced a similar prospect with destiny himself, Alexis “Zen” Bernier, which proved the difference. Having scouted him from the age of 13, Zen was brought into the team before he became eligible to play, with the promise that he had to finish school while under their contract. 

After agreeing and becoming of age, Zen went on to debut with back-to-back-to-back Regional wins, a Major win, and a World Championship. Nothing but success – but whose to say that if he faced a 32-hour commute across the US, Zen would have taken that leap of faith.

It’s a demographic issue that is not familiar with pillarstone American esports, such as Counter-Strike, but it has posed a threat to the home nation of Rocket League for the best part of five years, and it’s no surprise that France has taken the chance to usurp them with both hands.

There’s no easy fix for North America either. They are doomed. 

The Rocket League player base continues to be younger than any other esport, with the game’s entire simplistic nature lending itself to adolescent audiences. There have only been sporadic rising stars who have taken a wild plunge, but the geographical nature means teams simply can’t be formed, and its time NA accepts that they are no longer a force, but rather a pool of talent spread so wide that it’s impossible to be competitive on an international level.

Maybe the only real answer lies in a Collegiate-like circuit, bringing together local high-school stars, but that’s a whole new debate. For now, it will take a miracle for another NRG to be formed, and the entirety of NA’s success rides on their shoulders until the retirement home comes calling.

As to who can stop France, well, the American stalwarts of NRG stand the best chance, while the new pipeline from the Middle East has quickly challenged the status quo. What’s evident, though, is that Rocket League’s predominantly teenage breakthrough talent need to be harnessed in the right environment, surrounded by guidance, and close-knit countries like Saudi Arabia, the UK, and Spain.

The future of Rocket League is blue, white, and red, but with no stars.

There’s no place like home, right? Well, the RLCS Paris Major proved as much, as Rocket League saw a record crowd pack itself inside the La Defense Arena and be treated to a spectacle of homegrown talent. With three powerhouse teams in Vitality, Gentle Mates, and Karmine Corp all featuring, the crowd antics were festival-like. 

Cult followings celebrated Rocket League together with pyro, tifos, flags, and chants as if it were the national soccer team, and they were far from disappointed. If we had any doubts about France’s quality, they were short-lived, as five of the top six teams had French-speaking players or represented a French outfit, including all three finalists.

Dominance.

This was all epitomized by Epic Games’ recognition that Rocket League was home, using the Paris Major to announce its unprecedented first look at Unreal Engine 6. It could have aired in Boston. It could have aired at Worlds in Fort Worth. It could have even snubbed Rocket League altogether and been shown at Fortnite’s upcoming LAN in Germany.

But Epic knew its community and rewarded years of patience and passion with an insight into the future.

The Paris Major was the Coachella of Rocket League. While heavily-co-streamer-influenced viewership stats dipped slightly (still reaching the second-most-watched RLCS event of all time), it was a homecoming bonanza, and deservedly so. It launched off the back of greatness, built roots that secured its own future and prodigies, and provided us with the best fans a game could ask for.

Rocket League est à la maison.

Correction: The Esports World Cup reached out to state it’s not funded by the PIF. The EWC is funded by the Esports Foundation, a Saudi Arabian non-profit. But the PIF is listed as the Esports Foundation’s parent organization.

On May 20th, the Esports World Cup (EWC) officially announced that it would move the $75m competition from its previous host, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to Paris for its 2026 edition.

As with any news surrounding the EWC, this announcement was met with divisive reactions from the esports community due to the event’s ties to the Saudi Arabian government. However, a concerning portion of stakeholders, including France’s President Emmanuel Macron, have welcomed the change of location with excitement.

This is a reminder that the EWC is nothing but a sportswashing campaign carefully employed by the Saudi Arabian regime, while exploring why the move to Paris should not distract us from the human rights violations inflicted by its organizing parties.

The EWC wishes to be seen as the annual pinnacle of esports competition, a welcoming event that entertains fans, supports esports organizations with funding, and unites countless titles and stakeholders under a single IP— a true gift to our financially struggling industry.

Another fact about the EWC is that it’s organized and funded by the same person who ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, first announced the EWC in October 2023. The event was established alongside the Esports World Cup Foundation, a non-profit organization responsible for the EWC. Now called the Esports Foundation, this organization was founded by the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and is directly funded by the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The PIF is also the main driver of Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” plan, which aims to position the country as a center for esports and gaming by 2030, in an effort to reduce its financial dependence on crude oil production. As early as 2022, this investment strategy was identified as sportswashing by The Guardian’s Karim Zidan. 

Popularized by Amnesty International, sportswashing describes the use of sports by oppressive regimes to mend their reputations and distract from their human rights violations. In the case of Saudi Arabia, we’re talking about the oppression of women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, the persecution of regime critics, and the systematic exploitation of migrant workers.

For the sake of improved global business relationships and a flourishing tourism industry, Saudi Arabia would rather be associated with fun sports and entertainment activities in the eyes of Western consumers and policymakers.

If you wish to further inform yourself on Saudi Arabia’s “esportswashing” campaign and the accompanying ethical concerns, I encourage you to watch the video “Saudi Arabia is poisoning esports: We SHOULD Care.” by esports on-air talent Josh “Sideshow” Wilkinson.

“From the very beginning, the vision for the Esports World Cup has been to be a truly global platform for esports, bringing the world’s biggest celebration of competitive gaming to major cities around the world over time,” stated the EWC when announcing Paris as its new host location.

“Following an extended evaluation process in light of the current regional situation, the Esports Foundation decided to accelerate that international rotation for the 2026 edition.”

That sounds very different from the wording used for the event’s reveal three years ago: “The Esports World Cup is the natural next step in Saudi Arabia’s journey to become the premier global hub for gaming and esports.”

Although the move to Paris was most likely due to the ongoing war in Iran, the Esports Foundation (EF) seems to be determined to present the change in the most flattering light possible. Not everyone might believe the EF’s framing, but some are certainly excited to welcome another sizeable esports event to Europe. Others have even commended the French government for its public support of the EWC.

“Great examples of why France is an esports leader. Macron announces EWC, with government support to sort visas etc.,” commented esports professional Jeff Simpkins on X (formerly Twitter). “We need more of this in the UK at the government level.”

So, at the expense of losing some of its strong public association with Riyadh, the EWC positions its brand closer to the values and public image of Western countries and further away from Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

“Long term, it’s probably neutral,” esports journalist Arsh Goyal told Esports Insider in regard to this trade-off.

“It legitimizes EWC as a long-term tournament for esports fans and will probably bring more viewers, but that’s only if the event continues to exist in future years and goes back to Riyadh. With PIF pulling out of several of its titles, it’s possible that EWC will go away entirely.” 

Most importantly, though, none of this changes the organizational structure of the EWC or the violence inflicted by the Saudi regime. EWC funding remains drenched in blood. It’s just that the trail now leads to a more romantic setting. Some have argued that the move to Paris could benefit the queer community. LGBTQIA+ athletes might feel safer when attending the EWC in France instead of a country where being queer is illegal. 

However, as pointed out by Goyal: “The dangers to queer competitors were always very minimal. The whole point is for Saudi Arabia to paint a westernized image of themselves, so they’ll do anything for golf, esports, etc competitors from overseas to be as safe as possible.”

“In all of our conversations with parties in the region, our thoughts and opinions on all of these topics have been met with respect. There’s been a dialogue with an interest in learning about our perspective and thoughts,” explained Team Liquid Founder and Co-CEO, Victor Goossens, ahead of the organization’s EWC participation in 2024.

“These conversations have been approached with a willingness to talk about how a path forward might look like. And partially because of that, we believe that we have a small role to play to ensure that esports is and will be for everyone.”

One year later, journalist Mikhail Klimentov reported that Team Liquid’s support for the LGBTQIA+ community in an EWC documentary had been allegedly censored for Saudi Arabian viewers. The country’s Crown Prince knows well how to play both sides: feign a willingness to learn externally, while doubling down on persecution and death penalties within Saudi Arabia’s borders.

If you aren’t yet convinced that the current regime has no interest in learning from esports stakeholders on human rights and inclusion, allow me to cite Amnesty International’s 2025 report on the country: “Saudi Arabia executed the highest number of people on record in any given year. People were put to death for a wide range of crimes, including drug-related offenses, often involving foreign nationals.

“Women continued to face discrimination in law and practice. Saudi Arabia failed to take adequate measures to realize the right to a healthy environment.”

Not only are notable improvements unlikely to be induced by esports organizations. I also fear that Saudi Arabia’s sportswashing tactics have already taken root within our industry. For instance, the country’s first attempt to partner with Riot Games’ LEC was canceled due to immense fan backlash. Five years later, the EWC’s deal with Riot Games for all the publisher’s esports titles went through. 

I am deeply concerned that with Saudi Arabia’s increasing influence in the esports ecosystem and a growing acceptance of this influence from esports stakeholders, diversity and inclusion advancements in our scene could become jeopardized. 

We have already seen warning signs in this regard, for example, the removal of the “Journalist of the Year” category from the Esports Awards following its partnership with the EWC.

If neither silent compliance nor an open dialogue with Saudi leaders will slow down the billion-dollar sportwashing campaign, what can we do to make a difference? 

As with most topics surrounding the EWC, this question has divided the esports community. Boycotting seems to be the obvious “solution” at first glance. However, the blood money offered by the event is difficult for both esports organizations and broadcast talent to decline. An industry that bleeds money is incredibly susceptible to sportswashing.

Interestingly, in his article “EWC is here to stay, but sportswashing hasn’t won,” Arsh Goyal proposed that critical EWC coverage could be even more impactful than a complete boycott. 

“I think a full boycott that ignores the event or pretends it doesn’t exist still segregates the community,” shared the journalist with Esports Insider. “Coverage that tries its best to color the EWC with the darkness of its true intentions is probably still the most effective.”

Similarly, charity streams and fundraisers held by esports stakeholders during the EWC can serve as “a reminder to all viewers that the Saudi regime is trying to paint an image that you should not accept,” according to Goyal.

With the PIF seemingly drying up, there is a real possibility that fans and professionals can withstand Saudi Arabia’s sportswashing efforts until the EWC disappears from the annual esports calendar entirely.

The IEM Cologne Major is set to be one of the biggest Counter-Strike 2 events of the year. Starting on June 2nd, it will take place at the LANXESS Arena in Germany and feature a $1.25 million prize pool.

This puts it in the top 10 Counter-Strike 2 tournaments by prize pool. But there may be a bigger source of income for participating teams.

IEM Cologne is a massive tournament spanning three weeks. Stage 1 runs from June 2nd to June 5th, with the eight qualifying teams advancing to Stage 2. They join eight directly seeded teams in two groups of eight, competing from June 6th to June 9th. Stage 3 turns to best-of-three matches, with the top eight teams advancing to a single-elimination bracket.

These eight teams will join directly seeded teams: Team Vitality, FURIA, Natus Vincere, FURIA, Falcons, MOUZ, Aurora, The MongolZ, and PARIVISION.

The team that places first will get $500,000 of the prize pool. The runner-up team gets $170,000. Third and fourth-place teams get $80,000. Teams that place fifth through eighth get $45,000.

However, that’s not the only way teams make money at IEM Cologne. The event will run Valve’s new sticker revenue-sharing system. Sticker capsules will be sold over the tournament’s three weeks, allowing players to support their favorite teams in-game.

StarLadder Major Berlin saw $11 million in sticker sales revenue in 2019, proving it to be a lucrative endeavor for qualifying teams. PGL Stockholm and Antwerp collected $70 million combined. Last year’s BLAST.tv Paris Major allegedly made $110 million, not even including Vitality’s Champions capsule. Given how sticker sales revenue was split, each Contenders team received $4.5 million plus $250,000 per player, Legends earned $3.5 million per team and $200,000 per player, and Challengers got $2.6 million per team and $200,000 per player.

For the IEM Cologne Major, the sticker revenue model has some big changes. Tournament organizers now retain 5% of the 50% pool, previously reserved for organizations. The remaining 45% is shared among teams, split based on their Valve Regional Standings positions. The highest-ranked team gets 2.85%.

This still allows lower-ranked teams to see a fair amount of money. Why is that important? Because you need these newer and smaller teams to remain active in the esports scene. More often than not, teams that aren’t considered the biggest in the world don’t earn enough prize or sponsorship money to thrive, removing many teams from the ecosystem.

This has been a huge topic of discussion in the esports industry, with FlyQuest even promising to donate to underrepresented teams and esports scenes that need funding earlier this year. Other scenes have felt the pressure, with the high salaries of Dota 2’s best players draining the scene dry.

Counter-Strike has often been respected for its support of smaller teams and Tier 2 tournaments. Having money for participating teams beyond the prize pool encourages teams to invest in their players and inspires those players to push themselves to qualify. You’ll get all-around better tournaments and a lot more talented teams in the mix.

Instead of franchise leagues that cater to teams that paid to participate and leave others out of the tournament and without support, Counter-Strike’s esports scene has the mentality that anyone should be allowed to qualify for a major if they’re good enough.

Said one fan on Reddit: “The longevity of the Tier 2-3 scene is primarily driven by the decentralized tournament circuit and the high volume of liquidity from skin markets. Unlike franchised leagues, this open ecosystem allows smaller orgs to maintain operations through niche sponsorships and regional betting partnerships.”

This is definitely something the esports scene needs right now as the hype starts to die down and the money fizzles out.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the FGC really doesn’t like influencers. Despite this, Evo, the largest fighting game event of the year, has been sorta taken over by content creators.

Recently, Evo revealed the registration numbers for its fighting game lineup. It looks like Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and 2XKO will be the top three games getting the stadium treatment for their Top 8. No real surprise there.

However, the FGC was a bit confused to see Rivals of Aether II in the fourth place spot above popular games like Guilty Gear -Strive-. It soon came out that this was due to streamer Ludwig Ahgren and some in the FGC believe it was a bit of a scummy move.

Back in April, Ludwig announced that he wanted Rivals of Aether II to have a big showing at Evo. He initially told his fans that anyone who beat him in a 1v1 would get a free pass to Evo. Why did he even care? Because his brand, Offbrand Games, developed the game.

As time went on, Ludwig revealed that he’d give out Evo registration codes, making the three-day event free to attend, if players signed up to compete in Rivals of Aether II. This would save them $235. All gamers had to do was sign up on Start.gg for the Rivals tourney if they got approved.

Many in the FGC saw this as Ludwig “buying” Rival’s fourth-place spot. They accused him of buying up a bunch of Evo passes and giving them out. While it’s not the scummiest thing we’ve seen in the FGC, it did skew the registration numbers.

One player joked: “Rivals 2 about to have the biggest drop in players this side of when you got a free shirt for playing KOF XIII at EVO 2011. Otherwise, looks about what I expected.”

Pretty much. Plenty of players are going to drop out of the Rivals of Aether II tournament once they get to the event. At that point, they already snagged their three-day pass and can compete in other tournaments they care more about, or just hang out and watch.

However, this could happen with 2XKO as well. Riot promised the Pool Party Senna skin to anyone who signed up for that tourney as well. This clearly boosted the game’s numbers, putting it in the third-place spot. This is similar to the OWCS Champions Clash boasting massive viewership, but it was largely due to gamers wanting the Twitch Drops. It doesn’t mean interest doesn’t exist, but… Is the interest for the esports side of things truly there?

Either way, this all points to the larger issue at hand: Evo is getting taken over by content creators and corporations.

Evo is seen as the most prestigious fighting game event, respected for bringing the FGC together. As the mainstream esports scene continues to see a decline in hype as Saudi Arabia and manufactured moments erase authenticity, the FGC has been seen as a haven for real grassroots action.

Unfortunately, Evo was purchased by a Saudi Arabian company and some cracks are starting to show. The creator showmatch was already met with hostility, but at least we had intense, passionate, real tournaments. Right?

Well, now that’s even being questioned.

In regards to all these registration numbers getting inflated by interfering and meddling companies, one player stated: [Ludwig] boosting the player registration to appear higher is a dick measuring contest that was not asked. He also randomly started throwing shade at 2XKO, the closest game with higher registration.

It will likely make the tournament harder to run for no good reason, because a large portion of players just won’t show up.

All the extra money from those DQ registrations is going directly to Evo, now owned by Saudi oilers. Many FGC people have cut ties with Evo because of how shady it has become, and that’s money he could have spent on more grassroots smash tournaments like Genesis.”

Another added: “Everyone else aired the rest of the concerns, but I do think there is a conversation to be had about the ethics of dumping all this money into a Saudi-owned event. I really, really wish this could have gone to something like Supernova or Combo Breaker instead, or maybe even a new supermajor.”

I think this can be summed up pretty easily: the vibe is just… lame. The authenticity, grit, and passion of the fighting scene is sinking as more people meddle with Evo. Ludwig giving away free registration could be seen as supporting the community, but it unfortunately just adds to the manufactured feeling of the event, moving it away from genuine engagement.

Ludwig didn’t even really have a good response to the frustration.

He wrote: “I’m sure I got taken advantage of. People sold codes, shared them without permission, and signed up with no intention of playing. But that’s the price I’m willing to pay to make this the biggest Rivals 2 event we’ve ever had. The community has rallied around this, and I’m pumped to go to EVO this year.”

Okay… So boosting your own game’s numbers at a big tournament isn’t tacky? Isn’t fake? Isn’t adding to the idea of forced moments in the FGC? Having the biggest event ever isn’t much of an achievement if you paid people to show up. It’s a manufactured moment. It’s not genuine interest. It’s not real.

And that’s really the issue.

It’s fake.

Evo Japan has already fallen victim to the event’s massive growth following Saudi Arabia’s purchase. Evo hosted the broadcast for a very important showmatch between Daigo Umehara and Saul Leonardo “MenaRD” Mena II. Japanese players viewed it as a “fight to the death,” where the loser was essentially “dead” since this was a one-time shot at victory. But Evo’s broadcast was full of over-the-top hype that took away from the respectful and intense event it was meant to be.

Said one tweet: “I think Evo is trying too hard to create another Moment 37. S***’s not organic anymore, and all the forced hype cheapens it. I miss when s*** happened, and we reacted, not making some noise for a prospect of an idea of some s*** farmed for a response.”

That’s just it. Having the biggest Aether tournament ever means nothing if you paid for it to be the biggest. And that’s really the vibe of the entire Las Vegas event at this point, with all the creator showmatches and corporations begging for players to attend.

It’s just not the same.

Valve has revealed the direct invitations and slot allocations for The International 2026, and there are already multiple talking points surrounding the huge announcement. For the first time in recent memory, they’ve only invited seven teams instead of eight, but the biggest controversy lies in South America being handed just a single slot in the 16-team tournament. 

It’s safe to say the region, along with its players, coaches, and fans, are not very happy. 

For those living under a rock, Valve recently revealed the seven teams directly invited to The International, with six European teams and one Chinese team receiving the call.

The remaining nine slots go through regional qualifiers. China gets two, Europe gets four, and South America, Southeast Asia, and North America each get just one. That leaves the regional split for TI looking like this:

The idea of having 10 European representatives sounds bizarre at first, but it’s difficult to argue against it when Europe has comfortably been the strongest region throughout the season. Six of those teams also earned their places through direct invitations fair and square. 

However, the rest of the allocation has left a large portion of the Dota community in quite an uproar, as only one team from each of SA, SEA, and NA will make it out of the regional qualifiers alive. 

The biggest injustice surrounds South America receiving only a single slot. Two of the region’s representatives – LGD Gaming (formerly Heroic) and PlayTime (formerly South American Rejects) – have clearly shown throughout the season that they can hang with the big boys. 

The former Heroic roster has been a consistent playoff contender all year long. They kicked off the season by winning FISSURE Universe: Episode 7 and went on to secure six top-eight finishes across the nine S-tier tournaments they attended. 

If you ask me, that’s a pretty good success rate and strongly suggests they have consistently been hovering around the global top 10 for most of the season. 

More recently, we’ve also seen the rise of PlayTime, a squad that started out as the South American Rejects. They only really started getting the ball rolling in early 2026, but they’ve been getting better with every tournament and have proven they belong at this level. 

Sure, they’re a little late to the party, but they managed to claim an EWC invite in such a short time, which really says a lot – you can’t really fluke your way through the EPT Leaderboards. 

So, why are people complaining about the slot distribution? The main outlier here is China receiving three slots – one for the directly invited Xtreme Gaming, and two more coming through the regional qualifiers.

Sure, TI will be held in China this year, and the regional fanbase makes up a decent chunk of the Dota 2 playerbase. However, many, including myself, believe three slots is a step too far. 

Community stats expert and Team Liquid Technical Director Ben “Noxville” Steenhuisen recently posted a screenshot of DatDota’s Glicko 2 ratings for the top Dota 2 teams.

From the data, it’s clear to see Xtreme Gaming sit comfortably inside the top ten, with Vici Gaming – the only other competitive Chinese team this season – trailing at around 15th place. On paper, these two teams are completely justified to play at TI – I have absolutely no issues here. 

The concern comes with the third representative. China’s third-best team – Yakult Brothers – sits all the way down in 24th place. In a 16-team tournament of TI’s scale, it’s pretty difficult to justify that slot based on what we’ve seen this year. 

While stats don’t tell the full story, Yakult Brothers have qualified for seven S-tier tournaments this year and finished bottom five in every single one. If this is the likeliest candidate to take that third slot, it naturally raises questions about how competitive that slot will be at the actual tournament. 

If Valve had already decided on three Chinese slots well in advance, you can’t really argue with that. However, a compromise was still on the table that could have offered a better solution.

This year, Valve merged Western and Eastern Europe into a single qualifier bracket for four slots, but South and North America remain separate. 

This has effectively handed GamerLegion – a team that hasn’t made a single playoff appearance this season – an almost guaranteed path to The International, simply because they’re the only team in their region. A red carpet was laid out for them to claim that sole slot. 

What Valve could have done instead was merge the two regions into a single “Americas” qualifier and allocate two TI slots to it. That would have made for a much more interesting bracket, with LGD Gaming, PlayTime, and GamerLegion duking it out for two slots. Whoever comes out on top would have fully earned their spots, and nobody could argue otherwise.

At the end of the day, it was always going to be impossible for TI’s slot allocation to make everyone happy. But man, do I feel for South America. Back then, Valve awarded the region two TI slots even though it had only one competitive team. Now, just as they finally have two strong squads, that opportunity has been scaled back to a single representative. That’s just incredibly unlucky timing. 

It also sucks that PlayTime and LGD Gaming as organizations have both invested into these rosters, and one of them won’t even see the light of the TI stage. Considering what both squads have shown this season, it feels really unfortunate that they’re being forced into a gladiator fight for a single spot.

Ever since the Overwatch League died, Overwatch esports have been a bit of a depressing talking point in the industry. The Overwatch Championship Series hasn’t hit the same. The hype has largely disappeared, although some exciting teams remain.

When I saw that the OWCS Champions Clash had such an incredible viewership jump — with 290,600 peak viewers (during the lower bracket final, weirdly enough) and 5.4 million hours watched, two times that of last year’s — I thought, “Wow, people care more about Overwatch esports than I thought.”

And some esports fans felt the same, noting the varied meta and how many heroes were played (41 out of the 51). The audience in Tokyo, Japan was also very passionate during the broadcast. But that’s just a small part of the story.

Most esports events have drops these days, which are in-game awards fans can earn by watching the tournament for a certain amount of time on Twitch. But most of these drops are somewhat lame. I mean, it’s free stuff so people still want it. But it has often been sorta throwaway cosmetics.

But the OWCS went super hard this time around. For the Champions Clash, the Twitch Drops included skins for Kiriko, Hanzo, and Mizuki, as well as esports loot boxes, and other exclusive cosmetics. These were huge, especially for those who collect skins.

When news broke that the Champions Clash had a ton of viewers, most fans admitted it was due to the improved drops. It really made all the difference.

But that doesn’t mean nobody likes Overwatch esports.

Ever since Overwatch 2 dropped the “2,” added a bunch of heroes, and made other massive changes to the game to bring it back to the spirit of the original, the game has been exploding. After the Season 1 re-launch, Overwatch had over 165,000 concurrent players at one point.

And they have stayed, with the player count often reaching six figures. With the gameplay changes and added heroes, the meta has felt a lot healthier and more entertaining. This has improved the Overwatch playerbase.

And with a larger playerbase comes more people looking for exclusive drops. They may not necessarily care about the esports itself, but they can’t pass up a chance at having these special skins and loot boxes.

However, the drops were just the initial draw.

“I know drops are a huge reason why, but this was genuinely one of the best majors in years. Diverse comps and metas, huge upsets on the final day, more individual hero plays than I feel I’ve seen since the original season of OWL, all of the broadcast talent was enjoyable, and for me, most importantly, the fans at the arena were really into it,” said one fan.

Another added: “My friends who never really watch Overwatch esports tuned in for the drops and then were actually thoroughly entertained by the games, despite not really knowing anything about OWCS. Was super cool to see.”

So… Is Overwatch esports back? Not yet… But I think this was a good start. While people came for the drops because they care about the game, that’s a good foundation for the esports side of things. Now that there are more players, more people understand the game enough to watch esports broadcasts.

Now that they’ve checked out the action, maybe they’ll want to see more. And that’s thanks to the exciting matches and talented broadcast talent at this year’s Champions Clash.

We can’t predict if these Overwatch players will stick around. But we can confirm that drops make a huge difference. And other esports events should take note.

Last weekend was nuts. The biggest non-EVO offline tournament, Combo Breaker 2026, reached its conclusion with Street Fighter 6 closing out the massively successful event. While Zeng “Xiao Hai” Zhuojun won the bracket and punched his ticket to both Capcom Cup 13 and the Esports World Cup, the kids of the FGC also showed up at the tournament to remind us that they are here to play.

I’m not just talking about the runner-up, Hinao. Another kid with the tag THEBABYS212 also showed up and completely smoked his opponent. In a world of “fighting games are hard,” we have these beacons of light showing us that it’s all a matter of mindset.

Not just that, but to also remind us that the “FGC kids are alright.”

If you were on Twitter during Combo Breaker 2026, you might’ve run into a tweet showcasing a 10-year-old kid playing classic Ken named THEBABYS212. His match was streamed to thousands of viewers, and boy, did he not disappoint.

This kid was whiff-punishing, doing Jinrai loops, and just overall playing the game at a very competitive level. He even won the set 2-0 over Modern Juri player PLASMADRAGON, which sparked debates about Modern versus Classic control schemes again. Now, I couldn’t care less about this argument because that’s not the point! The point is that a 10-year-old kid is going to tournaments and winning their sets.

Even the Japanese broadcast of the tournament was impressed with how THEBABYS212 played!

This means that fighting games still appeal to younger kids who mostly prefer games such as Roblox or Fortnite, and, in extension, that fighting games will continue to live on as they will eventually be the torchbearers of the community after some decades.

If I’m going to talk about the kids in the FGC, it’ll be weird if I don’t talk about the Street Fighter 6 Combo Breaker 2026 Runner-up, Hinao. This kid is a beast. I remember the first time I learned his name was when he won the FightClub Championship VI Chengdu in 2024, punching his ticket to Capcom Cup 12.

In that tournament, he used Ryu and beat Evo champions Victor “Punk” Woodley and Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi. He didn’t just beat them, he blasted them both, 3-0’ing them on his way to the grand final.

Then, he won the whole thing after resetting the bracket and playing a nail-biting final set against Jojotaro. I remember watching the live coverage and seeing him win over $7,000 USD for his feats. When it came time to lift the trophy, he genuinely had problems lifting it because it was too heavy for him. This tournament was also his first international tournament.

Now, around half a year later, Hinao took on his second international tournament at Combo Breaker 2026 and ended up second only to quite possibly one of the best fighting game players alive, Xiao Hai.

If he’s able to consistently top eight in his international tournaments, what’s stopping him from being the next big thing in fighting games?

Hinao has insane potential. In his match against Xiao Hai in the grand finals, Hinao seemed to be a little too antsy and repeatedly put himself in a bad spot by burning out. Xiao Hai took advantage of this by playing a lot more patiently and punishing Hinao’s mistakes. Xiao Hai played like a real veteran, which threw Hinao off his rhythm, because Hinao usually won his sets through raw aggression.

Even though he lost, some of the veterans in the FGC still complimented Hinao’s run. In a tweet, Yusuke “Momochi” Momochi said he wished Hinao would hold his head high despite his loss, because his run was still outstanding. He adds that seeing the younger ones performing really well in tournaments has sparked his competitive drive to never fall behind.

The crowd also had Hinao’s back throughout the grand final. Everyone in Combo Breaker 2026 wanted Hinao to take the title. Now, this might just be because they’re tired of seeing Mai on the screen, or maybe they’re tired of seeing Xiao Hai win, but there was a loud “Aww” sound from the audience after Xiao Hai successfully whiff punishes Hinao for the win.

Don’t get it twisted, however: the audience still clapped for Xiao Hai and congratulated him.

Yup, you heard that right. Most fighting games nowadays feature a character representing the younger generation. In my opinion, this started post-COVID when players like Mashita “acola” Hayato and Miya exploded in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate scene. They came out of nowhere and started winning super majors and taking names from legendary smash players like Leonardo “MkLeo” Lopez Perez and Tyler “Marss” Martins.

Then, in October 2025, Reject established its Youth Division, with Hinao as a member. That same month, the organization sent Hinao to Chengdu to participate in the FightClub Championship VI Chengdu. Well, we all know how that happened. Aside from him, I don’t think any younger-generation fighter has reached heights similar to Hinao’s in Street Fighter 6.

However, in 2XKO, there is one. Bleed. This kid, just like Hinao, won a major at a very young age. Earlier this year, Frosty Faustings XVIII hosted the largest number of entrants for 2XKO in a tournament with over 900 people registering for the game’s bracket. The one who reigned on top? None other than Bleed.

In an interview with Riot, he mentioned that he wants to be “the start of the new generation for the players in the FGC” and that by the end of his career, he wants to be a “pillar of the new generation.”

If you’re not familiar with the phrase “the kids are alright,” it basically means that the younger generation will do fine and will strive. In the FGC context, this means that the kids are still playing fighting games despite other options. To put an optimistic spin on the phrase, you can essentially say that the history and future of the FGC is in good hands, seeing that kids this young are taking the genre seriously and even winning.

These kids grew up at a time when fighting games were very accessible. They’re available on every console, and all they need is an internet connection to play against other people. It pains me to say this, but gone are the days of going to arcades where you line up your quarters in cabinets to show who’s next in line. Fighting games nowadays allow players to hone their skills anytime they want.

With how accessible the games are nowadays, this only increases the appeal of fighting games to the younger generation. With how Hinao and Bleed are performing, I would be surprised if we don’t see a huge surge of population in the FGC in the near future. Not to mention, Street Fighter 6’s popularity in Japan has reached levels that the FGC hasn’t heard of, and we know that’s where the beasts are.

The FGC kids are alright and will continue to be alright. As older members of the FGC, it’s our responsibility to welcome them with open arms.

The Super Smash Bros. esports scene is unique. In many ways. One way? It’s not really for money at all. The pros are fighting for a rank.

Without Nintendo’s support, the grassroots scene has survived for decades with little to no prize pools. Most are around a few thousand bucks, just enough to break even after buying a hotel and flight ticket. Well, if you place first.

The real battle has always been with each other and themselves. Rivalries. Passion. Sweat. Tears. Pop-offs. And making it to the Top 100 of the SSBMRank or UltRank charts.

Well, until now.

On May 22nd, Melee Stats announced that the ranking period for Summer would end on July 12th, the weekend of the Garden Brawl and Krewe 2 events. However, the SSBMRank Summer 2026 would only be a Top 30 rather than a Top 50. The end-of-year ranking would still be a Top 100.

This is due to a lack of events so far, leading up to July 12th. To qualify for a spot, pro players must participate in one major and two regionals.

It’s definitely true that Smash is losing events left and right. Tournament organizers have been withdrawing from hosting majors over the past few years due to funding constraints. Big House and Beyond the Summit are big names that are no longer with us, and the Smash World Tour is a huge loss, with the Smash scene forced to put an end to the first-ever organized circuit.

However, is a Top 30 the answer? Melee pros are saying no.

“If you were actually trying to change with the landscape of the game, maybe listen to one of the many players dissatisfied with your product for the last five years instead of unfollowing them all and making decisions like this that negatively impact the community, in my opinion,” noted Kurtis “moky” Pratt on X.

He also posted a massive response on his own X, stating those landscape changes. This included counting online results during the pandemic when there weren’t any LANs for a few years as well as allowing top players to fight for the #1 rank when they were neck and neck after tournaments. He also pointed out that the ranking period shouldn’t have started with Genesis and ended in the winter, when there are not many events.

While moky wrote the most in-depth reaction to the Top 30, he wasn’t the only one. The replies to the original post were filled with frustration from Smash players on all levels. I saw plenty of simple “booooo” replies. One person even expressed sadness for those ranked 31-50, saying they were still good enough to deserve recognition.

Generally, it’s tough to take a ranking seriously when it doesn’t reflect the game’s changing landscape.

Brendan “Wheat” Malone, who voluntarily organizes the SSBMRank, responded to the ongoing criticisms. When it came to the Top 30 for Summer, he said the Smash scene doesn’t have to agree with them, but he wanted to clarify why it was reduced.

“I think it’s clear to anyone who follows the Melee scene that 2026 hasn’t had as many big events,” Wheat noted.

A total of 1,816 Melee players competed in big events in 2026 so far, which is far lower than 2025 (3,334), 2024 (4,377), and 2023 (4,387). That’s because 2026 only had four big events: GENESIS X3, Out of the Blue 5, Pat’s House 5, and Battle of BC 8.

“We’ve had a few big regionals such as Altitude Sickness and Creed,” Wheat explained, “but even with those, nearly half of the current Top 50 have not gone to enough tournaments to hit the eligibility requirements of one major and two regional or bigger level events.

“And not even 50 eligible players have a single win on a 2025 Top 50 player.”

In response, the Smash community still felt frustrated. It’s difficult for players to travel to so many events (and place at some of them) due to financial issues. And it’s not like they will see any of the money back even if they placed first. And most won’t. Rather than reduce to Top 30, players wanted to see the Top 50 have fewer requirements to reflect the touch state of the economy and its impact on the shrinking Smash scene.

While there is clear backlash to the reduced Top 30 for Summer, the SSBMRank still matters. Why? It’s all Melee pros have.

The real issue is that it’s not accurately reflecting the current scene. Reducing the qualification requirements and maybe adding locals into the mix would allow competitive players to feel more hope and passion for the scene. It’s tough when most are unable to afford competing and have no chance of making it onto the ranking no matter how talented they are.

This isn’t a game with big money on the line. There are no sponsorships. Top players aren’t even surviving on Twitch streams. The only thing Melee has that keeps the scene thriving? The ranking. Pros compete with themselves to climb the ranks and prove they can do it. There are heated rivalries as players fight for top spots. It’s all about reputation, passion, and raw skill.

With the SSBMRank reducing to Top 30, it feels unfair, yes. Players in that mid-range are going to feel discouraged. Why even travel to that one remaining tournament if they can’t break into the Top 30?

However, it does create even more tension for those at the top. The walls are closing in. There are fewer tournaments. Fewer opportunities to fight for their spot. And there are fewer spots. They have to fight even harder to survive.

The SSBMRank most definitely matters. But it’s tough to know what the true answer is to the shrinking Melee scene.

As Wheat said, Melee isn’t dying. However, what’s the solution to adapting to the new normal, then? If there will always be fewer events going forward, the SSBMRank may need to change to reflect this to keep the ranking fair and exciting.

The viewership numbers from the RLCS 2026 Paris Major were shockingly low. Like, really low. It’s easy to immediately assume that Rocket League is dying, the old esports mantra. But what’s actually going on?

Well, it’s not dying. But the excuses people have for the reduced viewership actually do point to one thing: it’s not popular. And it’s not retaining interest.

The RLCS 2026 Paris Major is still underway, with the best-of-the-best Rocket League teams from around the world gathering in France to shoot balls around while driving cars. There is really no denying that Rocket League is a fun game. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s simple to understand, but the pros have some crazy tricks up their sleeve that raise the hype.

But does it make a good esport?

So far, the most-viewed match from the Paris Major was a Group Stage clash between Team Vitality and Karmine Corp. It reached a peak concurrent viewership of 179,000. It’s not horrible. Again, not dying. But it’s nowhere near the viewership numbers we saw at the RLCS Boston Major a few months ago, which had over 1.6 million hours watched on the opening day compared to Paris’ 800K.

Esports Charts did a deep dive into these numbers and seems to think there is one key difference: Nicholas “Jynxzi” Stewart. The popular gaming streamer was a commuter caster at the Boston Major, bringing the Rocket League esports action to his 10 million-plus followers on Twitch and 6.3 million on YouTube.

Jynxzi was not a co-streamer this time. At least not yet. We will get Corentin “Gotaga” Houssein for Paris, a French creator who is excited to co-stream the event from his home country. This could boost the viewership, sure. But that’s the thing…

The RLCS Paris Major isn’t cooked. No, the RLCS Boston Major was carried. Now that there is no content creator boosting numbers, we can see what the true viewership is for Rocket League’s biggest event of the year.

And it’s safe to say that Boston’s numbers were inflated.

Esports Charts noted that even the RLCS Twitch channel was dramatically lower this year, going from 64,800 at the last major to 26,000 this time. Nobody was drawing people in, enticing them to check it out.

Rocket League is not alone, of course. Most esports rely heavily on content creators to co-stream events to mainstream gaming audiences.

FlyQuest made some cringe video last month that attacked co-streaming, claiming that it was damaging the esports industry. Well, except their own content creators and stuff, of course! But streamers aren’t taking away from the esports industry. There’s nothing to even take. They are adding to it. They are bringing viewers in. Temporary viewers, but viewers just the same. Tournaments have started to rely on this rather than invest in their own broadcasts or create a structure that actually improves permanent fandom growth.

Without co-streaming, most tournaments would see pretty underwhelming viewership. In 2025, co-streaming surpassed official broadcast for esports tournaments in hours watched. Even larger esports like League of Legends rely on co-streaming, which became a huge topic of debate during the Mid-Season Invitational last year. Without popular streamers, the numbers would suffer. (Even with co-streamers, some LoL events, like the LCS, can’t seem to get any attention at all.)

You can say that co-streaming and content creators are saving esports. But I beg to differ. They aren’t harming it or anything. They’re not taking away views. It’s not like those who tune in to these co-streams would watch the legit broadcast on their own without their favorite streamer encouraging them. Be real.

So no, there is no harm done. It just shows how flimsy the esports scene is. It would fly away in the wind if it weren’t for the streamers holding the strings. Esports is just not large enough to support the kind of money that’s put into it. The numbers are all inflated. The hype is displaced.

Without streamers and their fans begrudgingly tuning in, these esports broadcasts would see a shocking dip in viewership. Like the RLCS. The fans don’t stay after. They don’t become die-hard Rocket League fanatics. They are Jynxzi fans. That’s it.

There is a reason that Evo is desperate to add content creator showmatches this year. It needs the numbers. Of course, the FGC does not want it. They’d rather die than try to appeal to mainstream gamers. But other esports titles know that it’s a necessary evil. It’s the only way to pretend esports is growing. That esports has that many die-hard fans.

But the numbers are not real. And there is only so much time that esports can buy until it has to admit that these viewership numbers are not here to stay.