The Esports Awards and the Esports Foundation have extended their global partnership through 2028 and launched the EWC Players’ Choice Award, a new accolade decided exclusively by professional players. The three-year extension was announced in London on 18 June 2026, and pairs with a 2026 ceremony that moves to the United States under a new rotating host city model.
The Players’ Choice Award is the centrepiece of the renewed deal, putting recognition directly in the hands of competitors across all titles and regions rather than fan polls or industry panels. Voting runs from 1 July to 18 August 2026, timed to coincide with the Esports World Cup in Paris.
How The EWC Players’ Choice Award Will Work
The award is determined exclusively through peer voting and recognises the most outstanding competitor across all titles and regions. Players attending the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris will vote in person, while other eligible players and clubs can take part through a secure digital voting platform hosted by the Esports Awards.
To be eligible, players must have competed in at least one qualifying S, A or B-Tier tournament during the official competitive season. Participants cannot vote for themselves or their teammates, with the Esports Awards overseeing the process to ensure fairness and competitive integrity. A global marketing campaign will run alongside the vote, featuring player interviews and nominee reveals throughout the EWC 2026 season, before the winner is revealed at the Esports Awards ceremony later this year.
A Partnership Extended Through 2028
The three-year extension carries the relationship between the two organisations through 2028. The Esports Foundation, formerly the Esports World Cup Foundation, is the non-profit behind the Esports World Cup and is led by chief executive Ralf Reichert, who established the EWC in 2023 on the back of the earlier Gamers8 festival. The two organisations first announced their partnership in June 2024, when the awards ceremony relocated to Riyadh to align with the inaugural Esports World Cup.
Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards, said the Esports Foundation had generated mainstream attention and industry exposure outside of the standard circuit, and that the partnership had allowed the awards to expand their operations and footprint. He added that he hoped continued collaboration would bring the awards to a wider global audience and improve the industry’s visibility year-round.
EWC 2026 Moves To Paris
The Esports World Cup 2026 runs from 6 July to 23 August 2026 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, the first edition of the event held outside Riyadh after a late venue change the organisers attributed to the regional situation in the Middle East. More than 2,000 players and 200 clubs from over 100 countries will compete across 25 tournaments in 24 games over seven weeks to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion.
The 2026 edition carries a record $75 million prize pool, up from $71.5 million in 2025. Last year’s event drew more than 750 million viewers and 350 million hours watched. Voting for the Players’ Choice Award coincides with EWC Media Days ahead of the final week of the tournament in Paris.
The Esports Awards Ceremony Moves To The United States
The Esports Awards confirmed its 2026 ceremony will take place in the United States, the start of a rotating host city model that will stage the event in previously unvisited destinations. A city and venue have not yet been announced, with further details expected in the coming weeks.
The show was founded in London in 2016 as the eSports Industry Awards, rebranded to the Esports Awards in 2018, and later expanded into the United States with ceremonies in Arlington, Texas, and Las Vegas. Its partnership with the Esports Foundation shifted the platform to a larger scale, taking the 2024 ceremony and the 2025 Decade Awards to Riyadh as part of the Esports World Cup programme. The Decade Awards, recognising the most influential figures of the past ten years in esports, attracted more than 10 million votes and 15 million live and VOD viewers, with Faker named PC Player of the Decade, XQC named Streamer of the Decade, and Team Liquid named Organisation of the Decade.
With voting opening on 1 July, the first winner of the EWC Players’ Choice Award will be revealed at the Esports Awards ceremony in the United States later this year.