100 Thieves, NAVI and Team Vitality headline EWC 2026 Week 1

The first week of the Esports World Cup 2026 brought the esports world to Paris, which will serve as the discipline's temporary capital for nearly seven weeks. Amid the excitement of this inaugural edition and an opening ceremony that was as grand as it was unnecessary, three titles have already crowned their champions: VALORANT, Apex Legends, and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. A wide range of clubs have already started collecting valuable points toward the Club Championship.

For VALORANT, the marquee title of the opening week, 100 Thieves claimed the trophy in one of the tournament's biggest surprises, defeating reigning World Champions NRG in the Grand Final in front of the French crowd. Thanks to this victory, the two North American clubs secured 1,000 and 750 points respectively, putting themselves in a strong position despite not being among the organizations expected to challenge for the Club Championship, with only two and three appearances at EWC26 respectively.

Behind them, Nongshim RedForce claimed third place ahead of BBL Esports, two clubs that also did not appear to have made this event a major objective. The only exception among the contenders was Team Vitality, which picked up its first 200 points as one of the home organizations of this 2026 edition. Team Heretics, the 2025 VALORANT tournament champions, also saw their run end in the quarterfinals, just like the French organization.

The first fighting game to take center stage, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, saw Natus Vincere claim its first trophy and 1,000 points. Virtus.Pro, the fourth-most represented club at the event, earned 750 points with a runner-up finish. Thanks to Konstantinos "K-TOP" Lamprou, Team Vitality secured another Top 8 finish, ensuring that the French organization is already eligible for the Club Championship.

Team Vitality thus became the first club to secure its place, although its ambitions extend far beyond that, with nearly 18 rosters competing at this edition of the Esports World Cup. Despite fielding five players, including Zeng "Xiao Hai" Zhuojun, the 2025 tournament champion, Team Falcons failed to earn a single point in the competition. All Gamers, the third-most represented club at the event with 17 participants across all competitions, also came away empty-handed.

For Apex Legends, EWC 2026 hosted the ALGS Split 1 Playoffs, Respawn's premier Battle Royale circuit, replacing the Mid-Season tournament that was held in 2025. For the first time in the game's history, a Japanese club and roster claimed the title at a major international event. It was also through this tournament that All Gamers and Team Falcons, who finished sixth and eighth in the Grand Final respectively, earned their first Club Championship points with 150 and 50 points.