The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has officially announced a major new partnership with Epic Games, confirming that Fortnite and Rocket League will both be featured at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026. The collaboration marks Fortnite’s debut at the world’s largest esports event and signals a major expansion of competitive opportunities for players and clubs over the next three years.
Set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Esports World Cup 2026 will host the Fortnite Reload Elite Series Championship, offering a massive $1 million prize pool and valuable points toward the prestigious Esports World Cup Club Championship.
Fortnite Reload Takes Center Stage at Esports World Cup 2026
At the heart of the announcement is the Fortnite Reload Elite Series Championship, the official competitive circuit for Fortnite Reload, Epic Games’ fast-paced 40-player battle royale mode focused on squad-based action and clutch revives.
The championship event will be held live at EWC 2026, bringing the world’s best Fortnite Reload competitors to Riyadh for a high-stakes showdown on one of esports’ biggest stages.
A New Competitive Ecosystem for Fortnite and Rocket League
The partnership between EWCF and Epic Games establishes a multi-year competitive ecosystem designed to elevate both Fortnite and Rocket League within the global esports landscape. Rocket League, a proven esports staple, will make its return to the Esports World Cup, while Fortnite joins the event for the first time.
According to Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer at the Esports World Cup Foundation, Fortnite’s arrival represents a major milestone for the event.
Fortnite’s enormous global player base and cultural influence make it a natural fit for the Esports World Cup, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where the game enjoys a massive and passionate following.
How the Fortnite Reload Elite Series Works
The Fortnite Reload Elite Series will unfold through a structured online competition format designed to identify the world’s top duos. The series will feature:
- Open Rounds
- Play-Ins
- Heats
- Finals
Each Final will be broadcast live on Fortnite Competitive channels and will determine the top 40 Duos who qualify for the Reload Elite Series Championship at EWC 2026.
Those teams will then compete in Riyadh for their share of the $1 million prize pool, as well as critical points toward the Esports World Cup Club Championship, where clubs accumulate results across multiple games.
Esports World Cup 2026: A Global Celebration of Competitive Gaming
Returning in summer 2026, the Esports World Cup will once again unite gaming and esports communities from around the world in Riyadh. The event’s signature cross-game format rewards performance across multiple titles, platforms, and genres, creating one of the most ambitious competitive structures in esports.
With Fortnite and Rocket League joining an already stacked lineup, EWC 2026 continues to cement its status as the largest and most diverse esports event in the world, offering life-changing prize pools and global recognition for players and clubs alike.
About the Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup (EWC) is an annual global esports event that brings together the world’s top competitive games, players, and clubs under one banner. Featuring the largest prize pool in esports history, the tournament’s cross-game format crowns an overall Esports World Cup Club Champion based on performance across multiple titles.
The Esports World Cup returns to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the summer of 2026, continuing its mission to shape the future of esports as a global sport and mainstream entertainment phenomenon.
To learn more about EWC, visit esportsworldcup.com and follow Esports World Cup Foundation on LinkedIn.
