The Esports World Cup 2026 CS2 grand final is moving to Accor Arena in Paris after tickets for Championship Sunday at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles sold out, with the final day now set for the same venue that hosted Vitality‘s first Major triumph at the BLAST.tv Paris Major in 2023.
The rest of the competition – running through the group stage and playoffs – will still take place at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, before the action shifts to Accor Arena for the August 23 grand final. It’s a straightforward capacity upgrade: demand outstripped what the Expo hall could handle, so EWC have gone bigger for the biggest day.
What’s at stake on final day
The CS2 tournament carries a $2,000,000 prize pool across 32 teams, with 16 advancing to the playoff bracket and one side claiming the lion’s share on that final Sunday. Beyond the CS2 pot, there’s a broader $7,000,000 payout for the club that finishes top of EWC’s overall multi-esport rankings – which is why Natus Vincere, currently leading the standings, have so much riding on a deep run here.
Vitality sit third in the overall club rankings, and Falcons are sixth – meaning that final day at Accor Arena carries cross-title weight far beyond what a standard CS2 event would. The tournament features 32 teams, four of whom earned their spots through a massive open LAN qualifier.
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Paris, not Riyadh
The whole event was relocated from its usual home in Riyadh to Paris back in May, following the outbreak of war involving Iran. The move to Accor Arena for the final day is the latest adjustment to a tournament that’s been adapting on the fly, and it lands the CS2 climax in a venue that’s already proven it can deliver one of the best atmospheres in the game.
With the final day venue now confirmed and the open qualifier spots still being locked in, all eyes are on what the bracket looks like when Championship Sunday arrives on August 23.