Tournament

Esports World Cup 2026

Esports World Cup 2026 · Playoffs

WinnerGMMagnus CarlsenBeat Denis Lazavik in the final
Dates
4–15 Aug 2026
Location
Paris, France
Format
8-player Knockout
Time control
10 min, no increment
About this event

Last Chance Qualifier

  • 8x 7-round Swiss + 16-player double elimination KO
  • Swiss: 1st place goes to Upper Bracket, 2nd place goes to Lower Bracket
  • KO: 2 games per match, except matches that decide a EWC Play-in spot are 4 games per match
  • Top 4 & winner of tiebreak match between 5th and 6th advance to Play-in

Play-in

  • 8-player double elimination KO
  • 2 games per match, armageddon tiebreak

Group Stage

  • 2x 8-player double elimination KO
  • 2 games per match, armageddon tiebreak
  • Top 4 from each stage advance to Playoffs
  • Upper Bracket Final and Lower Bracket Semifinal of each group are not played out

Playoffs

  • 8-player single elimination KO, armageddon tiebreak
  • Quarterfinals: 4 games per match, Semifinals & 3rd place match: 6 games per match
  • Grand Final: Best of 3 sets, 4/4/2 games in each set, armageddon tiebreak if any set tied
Grand Final · 15 Aug