May 10, 2026.
Champions, both established and emerging, found victory at EVO Japan as Japan’s Eisuke Yamaguchi claimed the Street Fighter 6 title, South Korea’s Kim “iKARi” Min-kyu secured the TEKKEN 8 crown, and multi-title Esports World Cup champion Zeng “Xiao Hai” Zhuojun added another trophy with a win in FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves.
Competitors from across the world converged at Tokyo Big Sight for EVO Japan, a premier stop on the Road to EWC, where qualification for Riyadh was on the line and rivalries took shape across multiple fighting game titles.
As one of the largest fighting game events of the year, EVO Japan drew more than 7,000 players over three days of competition, delivering high-stakes action across stacked brackets as established champions and rising contenders battled for titles, momentum, and direct pathways to the Esports World Cup.
In Street Fighter 6, Japan’s Eisuke Yamaguchi delivered a breakout performance, winning over $25,000 after an impressive run through a bracket of thousands of players. His path to the title included victories over Lin "Hope" Jun-xi and Kojiro Higuchi before closing out the tournament with a 3-1 win over Victor “Punk” Woodley in the grand final.
In TEKKEN 8, South Korea’s Kim “iKARi” Min-kyu claimed over $15,000 with a composed run through a stacked field, defeating two-time Esports World Cup champion Lim "Ulsan" Soo-hoon and Hafiz Tanveer en route to a grand final clash with Bae "Knee" Jae-min. After being pushed to a bracket reset, iKARi adapted and secured a 3-1 victory, securing a victory from the jaws of defeat.
In FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, multi-title Esports World Cup champion Zeng “Xiao Hai” Zhuojun continued his run of dominance, capturing another international trophy and reinforcing his position as one of the most consistent forces in fighting games.
Yamaguchi and Punk both secured berths at the Esports World Cup after reaching the Street Fighter 6 grand final at EVO Japan. In TEKKEN 8, the top four finishers, iKARi, Knee, Hafiz Tanveer, and Alexandre “AK” Laverez, also locked in their tickets to Paris with strong performances in Tokyo.
Xiao Hai earned another berth with his victory in FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves. With several top finishers already qualified for EWC 2025, additional spots were awarded to Lee “Poongko” Chung-gon, Christopher “NYChrisG” Gonzalez, and Naoki “Nemo” Nemoto.
2026
Esports World Cup Trophy Award Ceremony crowns AG.AL
Thousands of competitors have traveled to the Esports World Cup 2026 in search of glory and millions in prize money, but in the end there could only be one winner of the Club Championship. The trophy award ceremony celebrated AG.AL as the Club Championship winner while honoring the achievements of each and every player involved.
2026
Notable Stories of EWC 26 Week 7
Week 7 of the Esports World Cup 2026 is officially in the books and with it, the EWC comes to a close. The final week saw champions crowned in Fortnite, Trackmania, CS2 and Crossfire, bringing one last wave of high-stakes action, dramatic finishes and standout performances. After seven weeks of competition, the Club Championships winner has been crowned, but let's not forget about all the action from this final week.
2026
CS2 at EWC 26: Spirit close out the event with a win
Team Spirit has defeated FUT Esports in the Grand Finals of Counter-Strike 2 at the Esports World Cup 2026. The finals reached their pinnacle at the Accor Arena, in Paris, France, marking the thrilling conclusion to seven-weeks of competition at EWC 26. Congratulations to Team Spirit.
2026
EWC 2026 Week 7 Champions Recap
Week 7 of the Esports World Cup 2026 saw the crowning of four new champions, in Fortnite, Crossfire, Trackmania, and Counter-Strike 2. The final week of the tournament also decided the Club Championship, where a new club was crowned for the first time in EWC history. Here’s a look back at every champion from EWC 26 Week 7.