The World Esports Championship (EWC) has officially been moved from Saudi Arabia to France. Paris will host the competition with a prize pool of $75 million next year, as the organizers confirmed on May 20. The decision is, to put it mildly, ambiguous. Some of the community breathed a sigh of relief, while others were only angered by the postponement.
And then the old question comes up: who pays for this holiday at all? The official version says: EWC is funded by the non-profit Esports Foundation (formerly called the Esports World Cup Foundation). No politics, no petrodollars. However, PIF, the State Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, is listed as the parent organization of this fund. Meanwhile, PIF, if you remember, is personally supervised by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The one who, according to intelligence reports, ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
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Who finances the Esports World Cup and the role of the PIF Foundation in esports
The Prince announced the creation of EWC back in October 2023. The event was conceived as the culmination of the esports year — a single brand, a bunch of disciplines, financial injections into distressed organizations. It sounds like a gift for the industry. But the background is… to put it mildly, specific.
PIF is the main engine of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan. The goal: to turn the kingdom into a center of esports and gaming by 2030, reducing dependence on oil. The strategy, as journalist Karim Zidane noted in The Guardian back in 2022, is called “sports laundering.”
What is Sportwashing and how is Saudi Arabia changing its reputation
Amnesty International popularized this concept for a reason. Repressive regimes use sports to enhance their reputations and distract attention from human rights violations. In the case of Saudi Arabia— it is the oppression of women, the persecution of critics, the systemic exploitation of migrant workers and attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community.
That’s why the reaction to the transfer of EWC to Paris was so nervous. Some of the interested parties — including, by the way, French President Emmanuel Macron — greeted the news with enthusiasm. The other part reminds us that the venue does not negate the origin of the money.
Moving to the French capital should not distract from reality. EWC remains the Saudi regime’s carefully packaged campaign of reputation laundering through esports.
What to see on the topic
If you want to understand in more detail, I recommend the video by Josh “Sideshow” Wilkinson (broadcast commentator) titled “Saudi Arabia is poisoning esports: we should be worried.” The ethical issues and EWC connections are discussed in detail there.
Why was the EWC Championship actually moved from Riyadh to Paris
The EWC organizers, meanwhile, assure us that Paris was not chosen by chance. “From the very beginning, the goal of the World Esports Championship was to create a global platform that would eventually bring together the largest celebration of competitive games in different cities around the world,” EWC said, announcing the move to the French capital. It sounds beautiful. However, the rhetoric was different three years ago. At the time, EWC was described as “Saudi Arabia’s natural next step towards becoming a global gaming and esports hub.”
The change of key is not accidental.
Players opinion and Emmanuel Macron’s reaction to EWC 2026
“After a long assessment of the current regional situation, we have decided to accelerate the international rotation,” the Esports Foundation (EF) added. The official version is the war in Iran, instability. But EF seems to be trying to put the solution in the best possible light. And they are succeeding. Part of the community is happy: another major tournament in Europe. The French government has even been praised for publicly supporting EWC.
“A great example of why France is a leader in esports. Macron announces EWC, the authorities are helping with visas. In Britain, we need more such initiatives at the state level.”
This was posted on X (former Twitter) by professional gambler Jeff Simpkins. And there are many such opinions.
What EWC loses and what it gains
The price of the issue is the loss of some of the ties with Riyadh. But EWC is now positioning itself closer to Western values and away from human rights scandals. A profitable rebranding? Maybe.
Esports journalist Arsh Goyal, in an interview with Esports Insider, assessed the compromise as follows: “In the long run, this is a neutral option. The postponement legitimizes EWC as a permanent tournament in the eyes of fans, and is likely to attract more viewers. But only if the event continues to exist and then returns to Riyadh. Considering that the PIF has already abandoned several of its tournaments, EWC may disappear altogether.”
Participant safety and human rights at the Paris tournament
Moving to Paris is considered by some to be a victory for the community. In France, being an LGBTQIA+ representative is not prohibited by law, unlike in Saudi Arabia. But Goyal immediately cools his ardor: “The danger to participants of non-traditional orientation has always been minimal. Saudi Arabia needs a Westernized image, so they will ensure maximum security for foreign visitors, whether it’s golf or esports.”
Blood remained blood. It’s just that now it’s flowing along the Parisian boulevards. EWC’s funding has not changed — it is still saturated with violence. Only the scenery has changed.
Team Liquid’s stance on LGBT content censorship at the Esports World Cup
Even before the start of the Esports World Cup in 2024, Viktor Goossens, the founder of Team Liquid, argued rather cautiously. “In conversations with representatives of the region, our views were respected. They listened to us, they were interested in us,” he said. — We approached the dialogue with willingness to discuss the ways of development. This is partly why we believe that we can play a small role in ensuring that esports is and will remain for everyone.”
Since then, the subtlety of the wording has been replaced by specifics, and not the most pleasant ones. A year later, journalist Mikhail Klimentov revealed a detail: Team Liquid’s support for the LGBTQIA+ community, in a documentary about EWC, was allegedly curtailed for Saudi viewers. The Crown Prince, we recall, skillfully balances: abroad he pretends to be open to dialogue, while inside the country he intensifies repression. Up to and including the death penalty.
Do you still think that the current regime is really interested in learning about human rights and inclusivity from esports leagues? Then here’s an excerpt from Amnesty International’s 2025 report: “Saudi Arabia has executed a record number of people in any given year. Death sentences are imposed for a wide range of crimes, including drugs, often involving foreigners. Women continue to face discrimination, both in law and in practice. The right to a healthy environment has not been realized.”
Riot Games’ EWC partnership threatens inclusivity in the industry
Organizations are unlikely to achieve major changes. What scares me is that Saudi Arabia’s “sports laundering” tactics have already taken root in the industry. Remember, five years ago, the country tried to form a partnership with LEC (Riot Games). The fans howled then, and the deal was canceled. And now? EWC has signed a contract with Riot for all esports disciplines of the publisher. Without much noise.
The greater Saudi Arabia’s influence on the ecosystem, the more widely its rules of the game are accepted. And then a legitimate fear arises: progress in the field of diversity and inclusivity may simply… evaporate.
There are already alarm bells
One of the most recent is the Esports Awards. After partnering with EWC, the “Journalist of the Year” category disappeared from it. A coincidence? Unlikely.
What’s next?
So far, the Saudi regime has not given any real reason to think that it is really ready to change. And esports, alas, increasingly turns a blind eye to this.
Boycotting the tournament or critical reporting as methods of combating PIF
If neither quiet compromises nor frank dialogues with the Saudi leadership work, what then? A question that has split the community worse than any major financial.
The boycott seems obvious. Well, you know, everyone turns away and pretends that EWC doesn’t exist. The only problem is that the blood money that the Saudis lavish on the industry is hard to ignore. Organizations — to pay for lineups, commentators — for broadcasts, media — for exclusives. Esports, which many still call unprofitable, is becoming easy prey for “sports laundering.”
Critical lighting works better than silence
Journalist Arsh Goyal suggested an unexpected option in his article “EWC will remain, but ‘sports laundering’ did not win.” He believes that completely ignoring the tournament will only divide the community more. But the reports that reveal the true intentions of the Saudi regime are a much more dangerous weapon.
“Coverage that tries to obscure the real goals of EWC remains the most effective,” Goyal explained in an interview with Esports Insider.
That is, not just to remain silent, but to tell the truth is harsh, inconvenient, right during the broadcasts. A kind of “reportage at gunpoint”.
Charity streams as a reminder
Another working tool is fundraising during the championship. While millions from PIF are being played on the main stage, streamers and organizations can simultaneously launch donations to aid funds. Thus, each viewer receives a marker: “This beautiful tournament is sponsored by a regime that executes people for drugs and crushes women.”
Goyal calls it “a reminder to all viewers that the image that the Saudis are building should not be taken at face value.”
PIF-Money doesn’t last forever
And there is an encouraging moment here. Financing from the Saudi Arabian State Investment Fund (PIF) is slowly drying up. Oil prices are jumping, domestic projects require billions, and esports is just a showcase.
If fans and professionals continue to push, preventing the regime from legalizing its reputation through CS2 or League of Legends, there is a chance that EWC will one day simply… disappear from the calendar. If not in 2026, then in 2027. The main thing is not to turn away and get used to it.
