Road to EWC 2026: Every Player’s Guide to Qualifying for the Esports World Cup

The EWC is knocking at the door, and Riyadh is set to host the prestigious tournament, scheduled to start on 6th July 2026. Every aspiring gamer always wanted to represent a certain region on a bigger platform. It's not too late, and the dream might be within your reach, as EWCF (Esports World Cup Federation) has already launched the Esports World Cup 2026 qualification program for the upcoming big tournament. It features around 230 tournaments, and the season-long structure led to the same path, the main stage.

The primary motive is to create a centralised global esports ecosystem that provides everyone at the grassroots level. with an opportunity to participate on the big stage. A plethora of games, starting from Dota 2, COD: Warzone, Counter-Strike 2, Teamfight Tactics, Chess, and others, feature open qualifiers. On that note, this guide explains the EWC 2026 Qualification.

Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification: Big Chance To Represent Yourself At The Bigger Stage

As the official date for the EWC 2026 is closing in on us, everyone is quite excited about how they can qualify for the big event and represent their region, most importantly themselves. As discussed, the EWCF has created an Esports World Cup 2026 qualification program for everyone to take part in. While some open qualifiers and community events are licensed for the main stage, others require participation in the official circuits.

Well, the easiest path was to register your organisation in the EWCF Club Partner Program. The path, however, is now closed, and not everyone has the privilege to play for esteemed organisations. Still, this doesn't stop an aspiring player from participating in the open qualifiers. Let's take a look at the step-by-step guide for the Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification:

Counter-Strike 2

Most teams in Counter-Strike 2 will qualify through their VRS (Valve Regional Standings) ratings. Four teams will be eligible to qualify for the main stage event. EWC are hosting an open qualifier from August 7 to August 9, 2026.

• As a player at the basic level, you need to register for the open qualifiers, and the top four teams will have a chance to be in Riyadh as the underdogs. Keep an eye on FaceIt to register yourself for the open qualifiers. It's a huge part of the Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification.
• On the other hand, if you're from the Asian region, your team must win the Asian Champions League to receive a direct invite to the main stage.

Dota 2

For a grassroots-level player, it's not possible to increase your EPT (ESL Pro Tour) points.

• Hence, the easiest way to participate is through the open qualifier events hosted by the EWC authority. You can check out FaceIt's page for details.
• Another way is to participate in regional qualifiers and come up as the ultimate winners to see your team on Riyadh's big stage.

League of Legends

The path to qualify as a League of Legends team could be a bit tricky. If you're looking for the easiest route, it is at the top of your regional standing chart.

• Several tournaments, such as LCK 2026, LPL 2026, LCS 2026 Spring, and LEC 2026 Spring, are on the line.
• Register for these tournaments and perform at the top level.
• Participating and getting either first or second in the LCP Split 2 is the only way for your team to get a direct entry to the EWC 2026.
• The rest of the tournaments focus on the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational.
• If you can perform really well as an underdog team in the MSI tournament, you are most likely to receive an invitation from the EWC authorities.
• As per the Road to Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification Program, Riot Games hasn't opened up an opportunity like open brackets for everyone to be at the big stage. It's most likely to happen soon, and we'll ensure to update this section.

Mobile Legends Bang Bang

The MLBB Mid-Season Cup will be the main event at the EWC 2026.

• As a grassroots-level player, you need to participate in the regional qualifiers named Mobile Legends Professional League. These are the great stepping stones for the Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification.
• The tournaments will be hosted across various regions: the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, LATAM, and the Middle East & North Africa.
• If you've formed a women's team, progress through the regional WSL tournaments to be at the MLBB Women's Invitation in Riyadh.

EA FC 26

All paths to qualify for the FC Pro World Championship in Riyadh are closed for now, unless you're a professional player, signed by an organisation. Technically, there's no official Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification program for that. Keeping that in mind, here's an overview:

• Regardless, here's an overview of the overall process:
  Players who've reached at least Division 4 in Div Rivals can participate in the FC Pro Open Ladder.
• If you're one of the top players from your Ladder, you can get a chance to participate in the FC Pro Open.
• Win that, and you are all the way to Riyadh.
• Meanwhile, if you're a professional or part of a partnered domestic league team, you'll participate in the affiliated domestic leagues to secure your spot at the big stage for EA FC 26.

Call of Duty: Warzone

The path to EWC for COD: Warzone is a bit tricky. Even though Activision and FaceIt host a couple of Esports World Cup 2026 qualification open qualifiers, these are only eligible for the North America and Europe regions.

• The Birmingham Split and the Atlanta Split are FaceIt's open online pathway. Every player from the participating team must use a facecam and stream their gameplay during these splits.
• The winning/top teams will attend two major in-person events. According to the tournament rules, the top five teams from both LAN events will qualify for EWC 2026.
• Those not from any of the aforementioned regions can participate in the Championship Qualifiers. We'll mention the dates once they're announced. While they're not directly associated with the EWC 2026 Qualification Program, it is a great option for entry to Riyadh.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

• Much like Valorant and Overwatch, participating in the Call of Duty League is the only way to secure your spot in EWC 2026. Unfortunately, there's no official Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification Program as of now. Check out our CDL Roadmap article for a better understanding.
• Another way, as a grassroots player, is to earn Challenger Points. To do that, your team must compete in the weekly online cups or LAN events. These should lead you and your team to Riyadh for Black Ops 7.
• The Last Chance Qualifiers are another way to secure your spot in case you're not on the pro circuit.

Crossfire

• The easiest way would be to participate in the Crossfire Pro League, which aligns with the official format of the Road to EWC 2026 program. That, however, might be a hard approach.
• Another simple way is to participate in the regional qualifiers. Even though there's no official information available for 2026, the previous year already hosted open qualifiers for SEA, the Middle East & North Africa, along with the West regions.

Valorant

Unfortunately, there are no grassroots open brackets to qualify directly at the EWC 2026 big stage. Riot and EWC authority haven't announced any Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification program yet. We'll update this section once we get any updates.

• Even though there's no traditional way, the VALORANT ecosystem lets you form a team within the game. Participate in the in-game Premier tournaments to qualify for the Challenges Leagues.
• Perform well in those tournaments, and ultimately, you'll get the chance to challenge VCT-level teams. It certainly requires a lot of time and grind. If you reach the top in any one of the four regions (Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and CN), your ticket to Riyadh will be confirmed.

Overwatch 2

• Much like Valorant, your team needs to get an entry in the Overwatch Champions Series. And for that, the open qualifiers on FaceIt would be the most reasonable solution. There are no other official open qualifiers for the Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification program.
• Stage 2 open qualifiers will begin in May 2026. Therefore, register your team to get into the OWCS league.
• If your team can compete in the OWCS Regular season and its playoffs, then you can assure a spot. Best performing teams from four regions: NA, EMEA, Asia, and China will be invited to the tournament.

Rocket League

If you're up for a 2v2 or 1v1 format and couldn't find the rest of your teammates, you're in the right spot. You don't need the traditional 3v3 Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification format to be in Riyadh.

• There'll be regional open qualifiers for the aforementioned formats. Win these and get your chance to be on the big stage.
• Coming to the traditional Rocket League 3v3 format, keep an eye on FaceIt or Start.gg websites for the Rocket League qualifiers. These mini tournaments are equivalent to what the EWC 2026 Qualification program offers for other games. The open qualifiers will be hosted around the end of May.
• Another way is to participate in the RLCS 2026 Season and earn RLCS Points. That, however, would be a bit tough for a grassroots-level player.

Chess

Chess is the only real-life sport that's included in the Esports World Cup 2026. And surprisingly, the Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification program allows players with higher ratings to enter the main stage.

• Firstly, if you're already a GM, IM, FM, or belong to any other mastery level, the Titles Tuesday Grand Prix would be the best option. Currently, the Spring Split is about to start on March 3.
• As per the norms, top players from the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) leaderboard can secure the six spots in the EWC 2026.
• Another interesting way is to participate in the Speed Chess Championship (SCC) 2026. The top three players will secure their spot in EWC from this tournament.
• The top three players in the Chess.com Global Championship will unlock their lady luck to fill the remaining EWC 2026 qualifiers.

FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves

• You can participate in the esteemed fighting game tournaments, such as Evolution Championship Series or Combo Breaker 2026.
• If you can place yourself in the top two, then you can earn a direct invite to the EWC.
• Another way, a bit hard, is to participate in high-stakes tournaments like the SNK World Championship. Earn a respectable amount of points to secure one of the spots in the ultimate FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves tournament at the EWC stage in Riyadh.

Apex Legends

Apex Legends doesn't feature a traditional open qualifier from the EWC authority. Moreover, there are no open qualifiers affiliated with the Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification Program. The system hosts internal tournaments, which eventually lead to the EWC 2026.

You need to form a team of three or four and participate in the official event. The roadmap looks something like this:

• You need to participate in the ALGS Online Open for every region. This will feature four open qualifier weekends. Click here to register your team.
• If you are one of the top four teams in your respective region, you'll qualify for the Pro League.
• 30 teams from Americas, EMEA, Apac North, and Apac South will be eligible for the triple-round-robin format.
• If you win this, you'll qualify for Split 1 Playoffs.
• Now it's time for your team to face the Challenger Circuit Team. Once you overcome the double-elimination bracket, the first LAN event of ALGS Year 6 will be waiting for your arrival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Teamfight Tactics

For grassroots Teamfight Tactics players, the EWC foundation has opened up an online pathway to Riyadh. Keep an eye on the FaceIt platform for the online qualifiers. It's expected to be hosted between late March and May 2026.

Free Fire

There's an official series name, Free Fire World Series, for your team to be eligible for the EWC 2026, in Riyadh. There are no separate tournaments associated with the Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification Program.

• Coming from the grassroots level, your first step would be to participate in community tournaments, such as Clash Squad Standalone or Ramadan Cup, to take the spotlight. In such a way, a big organisation might hire you before they provide the final list of players for their EWC campaign.
• If you're one of the top teams in your region, participate in the Spring Split 2026 to secure your team's slot in the EWC 2026. The regions include SEA, Brazil, the USA, Pakistan, and more
• If you're specifically from India, participate in the Free Fire MAX India Cup (FFMIC) to secure your spot.
• FFWS USA Spring is a great way to secure a spot as a lone representative.
• Meanwhile, keep an eye on FaceIt as the EWC might open up an opportunity, dubbed open qualifiers, for grassroots players to showcase their talent. These qualifiers, however, are specific to some regions.
• You can check out the Garena Free Fire application or the official EWC Website to obtain more information.

Street Fighter 6

• Much like any other fighting game, Street Fighter 6 also provides grassroots players the opportunity to secure their spot in the EWC 2026.
• Firstly, you can participate in premium events, such as Combo Break 2026, EVO Japan 2026, and EVO 2026, and place yourself in the top two to secure a trip.
• A top-16 finish in the Capcom Cup would be a great way to secure your ticket for Riyadh.
• In case you're too overwhelmed to participate in the LAN tournaments, keep an eye on start.gg for regional online tournaments. If you can win any one of these, your tickets for Riyadh should be confirmed.

R6 Siege X

For Rainbow Six Siege X, you need to start from the basics. Here's the process in detail:

• Navigate to the FaceIt platform and register your team for the Challenger Series in Tier-2.
• Place your team high enough to be eligible for the Tier-1 ecosystem.
• Participate in major tournaments, like BLAST Six Major or go for Regional tournaments.
• That'll be enough for your team to obtain one of the valuable spots at the EWC 2026.

PUBG BATTLEGROUNDS

• For grassroots-level players, participating in the PPT (PUBG Players Tour) will be a great entry point. It's an open bracket system that promotes underdog teams to the Global Series.
• Now that you have entered the Global series, play through the regional qualifiers to open up a spot in the PUBG Global Series Event.
• If you and your team perform well in the PGS series, keep yourself ready to fly to Riyadh.

PUBG Mobile

• Winning a few regional professional leagues, EMEA Qualifiers, PMSL Spring, or Split 1 can grant your team a spot in Riyadh for PUBG Mobile.
• If you're from India, winning BMPS is the standard way to secure your spot in EWC 2026.

Tekken 8

The Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification system has opened up a plethora of opportunities for the Tekken players to secure their tickets to EWC 2026.

• Much like most fighting games, prove your worth in esteemed tournaments, such as EVO Japan 2026, EVO 2026, and Dreamhack Summer (scheduled for June 2026).
• Another way is to place yourself in the top three of the Tekken 8 SOOP Super Tournament, Combo Breaker, and The MIXUP.
• Lastly, the hard way is to stay in the top 8 spot in the Tekken World Tour Global Finals.

TrackMania

• If you're a TrackMania grinder, it can be difficult to find a spot in the EWC.
• The in-game qualification system, however, might save your day. Compete in Cup of the Week (COTW) matches on black tracks, and the top 8 players from the leaderboard will secure their spot in the EWC 2026.

Fortnite

Fortnite features a simple system. There's no specific Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification system for this. Keeping that in mind, here's a brief:

• Most of the qualifying rounds are hosted through online tournaments.
• This series has four rounds: Open, Play-Ins, Heats, and the Finals. Do remember that you need to participate in your specific region (Europe, North America, Central America & West America, Asia, Brazil, Oceania, and the Middle East).
• If you perform well, you'll be among the top 40 duos who will secure their ticket to Riyadh at the EWC 2026.

Honor of Kings

Honor of Kings World Cup will be the main event at EWC 2026. The Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification is a bit tricky. Here's a brief:

• Participating in the King's Pro League Spring is a great way to start. Usually, if you're from China and your team performs really well, the region sends their Spring Split champion to the EWC 2026.
• Another way is to win other regional leagues from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Middle East, and other Spring Splits.
• Coming to the grassroots way, keep an eye on the FaceIt platform and register for regional cups. It's a major part of the EWC 2026 Qualification Program. HoK Open Serieses are a great way, regardless of your region, to secure your ticket to Riyadh.

This was our complete coverage of the Esports World Cup 2026 Qualification. Please visit our official website to discover the latest gaming articles.