World Esports Championship Concludes in Paris with Historic Wins
The World Esports Championship concluded on Sunday in Paris after seven weeks of competition, although it was not initially planned to be held in France.
The tournament was moved from Saudi Arabia amid ongoing conflict in the region and disruptions to air travel.
French player Gwendal "Gwen" Dupard reached the finals in Trackmania, securing victory for the Chinese team AG.AL by winning his final match.
This victory earned Dupard $130,000 and guaranteed his club the grand prize of $7 million, denying the Saudi team Team Falcons a third consecutive title.
French President Emmanuel Macron presented the trophy to the winners at the closing ceremony, attended by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
From Riyadh to Paris
Over 2,000 players from 200 clubs across more than 100 countries competed in 25 tournaments across 24 games.
Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, chairman of the Esports Foundation, stated that the cancellation of the tournament was never discussed.
He added that the issue was not about safety in Saudi Arabia but about logistics: how to bring thousands of players, staff, and industry leaders to the country amid regional tensions.
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The relocation of the tournament provided French teams with a surprising home advantage.
The all-female Vitality team successfully defended their title in the only fully female tournament of the championship.
Young Champions and Historic Wins
The final part of the championship brought several historic achievements.
In the Fortnite Reload Championship finals, 19-year-old Taylor-Patrick "vic0" Gatshelhofer and his 20-year-old partner Danila "Malibuca" Yakovenko became the first duo in the game's history to win two major offline tournaments in a row.
The Chinese team BaiSha Gaming also added to their trophy collection by winning the title in CrossFire.
After losing the World Esports Championship final in 2025, BaiSha returned to defeat the reigning champions AG.AL and then swept Team Liquid 3-0 in the finals.
Zheng "Xxiao" Qi stated that this victory completed what he calls his "Grand Slam".
He noted, "All the efforts I put in over the years have paid off."
What’s Next After Paris?
According to the organizers, 175,000 tickets were sold over the seven weeks, which is 94% more than in 2025.
Mike McCabe, CEO of the Esports Foundation, stated that the operational relocation of thousands of players and staff to Paris required close collaboration with clubs, game publishers, and French authorities.
This experience also allowed organizers to test different tournament formats, including running multiple stages simultaneously.
Prince Faisal noted that Paris demonstrated that the championship can successfully take place outside of Saudi Arabia.
For now, the World Championship is returning home.
The return of the World Esports Championship to Riyadh is scheduled for 2027, while the inaugural Esports Nations Cup, originally set to take place in the Saudi capital in November, has been postponed to next year.
