The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has launched the Road to EWC qualification programme for this year’s Esports World Cup.
The programme includes over 230 tournaments taking place across a variety of regions and align with several esports ecosystems to create a single pathway culminating at the Esports World Cup.
Road to EWC provides players and esports organisations with opportunities to earn a place on stage at the multi-title esports event taking place from July 6th to August 23rd. The pathway is integrated across several official leagues and tournaments, including the Apex Legends Global Series, Combo Breaker, and the Overwatch Champions Series.
According to EWCF, the Road to EWC’s structure is “designed to support integrity, long-term investment, and the sustainable growth of the global esports industry.”
“Road to EWC brings together the journeys that shape competitive esports,” said Faisal Bin Homran, Chief Product Officer of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “By creating a defined qualification season, it gives the whole industry the confidence to plan; players can focus on performance, Clubs can commit resources earlier, publishers can align their ecosystems, and fans know when and where the biggest moments will happen.”
In addition to events integrated into existing ecosystems, the Road to EWC also includes open qualifiers and community tournaments for Call of Duty: Warzone, Dota 2, and Chess, opening the door for all players looking to compete.
The 2025 Road to EWC saw over 2,500 players qualify for the Esports World Cup through the programme’s pathway. Free Fire player Rasyah ‘Rasyah‘ Rasyid made EWC history, becoming the event’s youngest winner at the age of 15.
Esports World Cup 2026 Details
With several esports ecosystems hosting their first seasons of the year, the EWCF continues to unveil new information on what this year’s Esports World Cup has in store. In January, the Foundation revealed that the event will feature a $75m (~£54.6m) prize pool split across the 25 titles.
This year also marks the debut of arcade racing game Trackmania at the event, thanks to a multi-year deal with Ubisoft Nadeo.
