40 Elite Esports Clubs Selected to Esports Foundation’s $20M Club Partner Program, Reaching Over 300 Million Fans Worldwide

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (March 31, 2026) – The Esports Foundation (EF) today announced the 40 esports Clubs selected for the 2026 Esports Foundation Club Partner Program, reinforcing its commitment to a sustainable and globally connected esports ecosystem.

Now in its third edition, the $20 million initiative builds on a proven framework, combining funding of up to $1 million per Club with strategic guidance and international exposure, to support Clubs in expanding their brands and audiences leading up to and throughout the Esports World Cup 2026.

Over the past three years, more than $100 million has been distributed directly to Clubs across the Club Partner Program and Club Championship, supporting development across competitive operations, marketing and fan engagement. The program establishes a distinctive model for partnership in global sport, enabling Clubs to access funding to grow their brands and audiences through marketing and storytelling that showcase the personalities, talent, and journeys of players.

The selected Clubs reach a combined audience of more than 300 million fans worldwide, highlighting the influence of Club-led communities in shaping how audiences engage with competitive gaming. Spanning North America, Europe, MENA, China, Korea, Southeast Asia, India and Latin America, the 2026 cohort reflects the global reach and continued development of esports across regions.

“The Esports Foundation Club Partner Program reaches fans globally and changes the way they experience esports,” said Hans Jagnow, Director, Clubs, National Teams and Players Relations at the Esports Foundation. “Over the past editions, it has created a platform for Clubs to strengthen their brands and engage with audiences, and we’re seeing the results of that in the impact it delivers. With new clubs joining alongside established names in 2026, the program continues to expand in high-growth markets such as Latin America, India, Turkey, and Southeast Asia, enhancing the global character of the ecosystem.”

With a balanced roster, the program includes nine from Europe, six Clubs from China, and five from North America, alongside Southeast Asia (four), Brazil (three) and Latin America (two). India strengthens its presence with two Clubs, while Türkiye joins the program for the first time, alongside the returning clubs from Japan, Korea, MENA and the CIS.

The 40 Clubs selected for the 2026 EF Club Partner Program are, in alphabetical order: 100 Thieves, 9z Globant, All Gamers, Alpha7 Esports, Cloud9, Edward Gaming, Fluxo W7M, Fnatic, FURIA, FUT Esports, G2 Esports, GAM Esports, Gen.G, Gentle Mates, GodLike, HEROIC, JD Gaming, LEVIATAN, MOUZ, NAVI, NIP.eStar, NRG, ONIC, REJECT, S8UL, Sentinels, T1, Team Falcons, Team Heretics, Team Liquid, Team RRQ, Team Secret, Team Spirit, Team Vitality, Titan Esports Club, Twisted Minds, Virtus.pro, Weibo Gaming, Wolves Esports, ZETA DIVISION.

"Through the Club Partner Program, we’ve been able to connect our global fans with the key moments that have defined Team Vitality, " said Fabien “Neo” Devide, Chairman and co-founder of Team Vitality. “For every triumph at the EWC, the Hive’s presence has been felt and seen by millions of viewers around the world as we continue to move closer to claiming the EWC Club Championship trophy. The scale of the event, followed by fans at home and around the world, showed just how influential esports has become."

Joe Marsh, CEO of T1, added: “The Club Partner Program gives us the platform to build around our players and the moments that define our season. We want fans to follow that journey closely through our players’ stories and the voices of the community behind our team that bring it to life. At the same time, we’re scaling how fans come together, from our T1 Base Camp locations in Seoul and Busan to our international T1 tour fan events, T1 Home Ground LCK matches, and dedicated superfan experiences around our biggest matches. It allows us to take what defines T1 at home and carry that experience to a global audience.”

The EF Club Partner Program enables Clubs to grow and activate their audiences through content, campaigns and live experiences across the season. In 2025, participating Clubs delivered more than 300 million campaign views and actively engaged over 10 million fans across more than 370 initiatives, which included original content, fan events and digital activations. More than 130 watch parties were hosted globally, while the Superfan program offered opportunities for Clubs’ most passionate fans to travel to Riyadh and support them throughout the season, bringing over 2,000 Superfans through the program to the EWC 2025 arenas last summer.

Clubs are selected based on an annual review of competitive results, fan engagement, and evaluation of strategic vision and marketing proposals. Eight received direct invitations through the 2025 EWC Club Championship final standings, with the remaining places filled via an open application process attracting more than 175 applicants worldwide.

Membership does not guarantee qualification for the Esports World Cup 2026. All Clubs must qualify through official competition pathways.

To learn more about the EF Club Partner Program, visit esportsworldcup.com/clubprogram. For more information about the Esports World Cup, visit esportsworldcup.com and follow @EWC_EN on X. Follow the Esports Foundation on LinkedIn.

About The Esports World Cup

The Esports World Cup (EWC) is a premier annual sporting event and global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. The competition features a unique cross-game format that pits the world's top esports Clubs against one another for the largest prize pool in esports history. Returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the summer of 2026, the EWC will bring gaming and esports communities together again to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion. esportsworldcup.com

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