Insider Gaming has all you need to know about the on-site stages and facilities if you are visiting the Esports World Cup 2026 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris.
EWC Paris 2026 venue map & things to look out for
EWC 2026 Paris features four main stages where the vast majority of the Tier 1 action will take place across the seven-week event. They are:
- stc Arena
- Lenovo Legion Gauntlet
- Qiddiya City Grid
- Allianz Vault
Additionally, there are three ‘Qiddiya City Battlegrounds,’ peripheral stages used for secondary streams of events that have a lot of matchups to get through.
stc Contenders is the final spot where esports action will take place. In the form of a classic LAN hall, stc Contenders is utilized for Last Chance Qualifiers where a large number of players can battle it out to qualify for main events.
As the weather during Week 1 peaked at 36°C (96.8°F), visitors will be glad to know that there are frequent hydration points dotted around the venue, with two close to the ‘Quest Hub’ and ‘Explore EWC’ help desk.
Bathrooms are located behind the Qiddiya City Grid, but be sure to arrive quickly when big events end because there will likely be a queue.
As we are in Paris, Gentle Mates, Karmine Corp, and Vitality all have stands at the event for fan fun, merch, and signings, so be sure to keep tuned to their social media if you want to meet your French heroes.
stc Arena
The stc Arena is the largest stage at the Esports World Cup 2026, dominating the center of Pavilion 1 of Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
The arena features floor seats and a supporting grandstand, with big screens built into the stage and hanging from the ceiling for further back viewers.
The stc Arena hosts huge titles like Valorant, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike 2 at EWC 2026.
Lenovo Legion Gauntlet
The Lenovo Legion Gauntlet is located at the back right of the event, representing the second-largest conventional stage at EWC 2026.
The Gauntlet features plenty of floor seats and a grandstand. It will host events like Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Rainbow 6: Siege, and Trackmania at EWC 2026.
Qiddiya City Grid
The Qiddiya City Grid is one of the signature stages of the Esports World Cup as the host of the Battle Royale contests of the event.
The home of Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, Free Fire, and both PUBG and PUBG Mobile, the Grid is set up to accommodate 20 BR squads.
The Grid has upper seats for Superfans and floor and grandstand seats for general admission, with large viewing screens for those in the stands and screens close to the stage for the lower seats.
Allianz Vault
Located at the back left of the arena, the Allianz Vault is designed for the intense 1v1 battles at the Esports World Cup 2026. The venue is intimate, with a few rows of seats on each side of the triangular stage, echoing the close-quarters 1v1 action in the games.
The EWC events to be held at the Allianz Vault include fighting games Tekken and Street Fighter 6, as well as Chess. The stage will also host Crossfire in the last week of the event.
Qiddiya Battlegrounds 1, 2 & 3
Qiddiya Battlgrounds will be used primarily for events with B-streams as a place to have secondary matches in large-scale tournaments.
There are three Qiddiya Battlegrounds in the arena, two on the left wall in reference to the entrance, and one in the back right of the arena.
Each Qiddiya Battleground has a small number of sets where spectators can watch, so be there early if a match you want to watch is located in one.
stc Contenders
Against the right wall of the arena, the stc Contenders area is a large set of LAN tables for all the qualifying action to take place at the Esports World Cup 2026.
Qualifiers include EA FC 2026, Tekken, Street Fighter 6, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and Chess! How are the Chess players going to keep their concentration when surrounded by trash-talking CoD players? That’s for them to worry about.
Will you visit EWC 2026 is Paris? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord.
Additionally, our full Esports World Cup 2026 schedule is out now with a full breakdown of all seven weeks.
Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
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