The Esports World Cup 2026 is now complete, and real-time strategy (RTS) game fans are excited! The Esports World Cup Foundation just announced the final game joining the competition: Trackmania. This will be the first time Trackmania is featured at the event, which will be held in Riyadh.
Unfortunately, this means StarCraft II, a popular real-time strategy game, won’t be included in this year’s Esports World Cup, even though it was featured in the first two events. The situation is even more disappointing because the complete list of games shows that no other RTS titles will be represented at the competition.
RTS Community Has No Reason to Watch EWC 2026
This year’s Esports World Cup will be the first since its 2023 debut to not feature a real-time strategy (RTS) game. When Trackmania was surprisingly added to the event lineup last year, RTS fans were understandably disappointed.
Fans across social media are upset about being overlooked. Kaelaris, a well-known StarCraft II commentator and host, expressed their disappointment, saying:
I was already having a rough day but no StarCraft at EWC hurts.
Honestly, I don’t think I’ll be playing StarCraft 2 in 2026. It’s pretty much the only place left where they even want someone to host the desk for the game, and it doesn’t look like that’ll change.
Even though I experienced it at EWC last year, it feels like a significant part of my life has ended, and I’m still grieving that loss. It’s been difficult for me to move past it, and that’s the best way I can explain how I feel.
In another post, creator and commentator Simon ‘Lowko’ Heijnen wrote:
It’s disappointing that StarCraft 2, and real-time strategy games in general, aren’t featured at the EWC this year. It’s especially surprising since viewership and interest in the genre have been growing recently.
The Esports World Cup played a key role in sustaining competitive gaming after player interest declined and some tournaments were cancelled. Losing this large, international event is a significant setback for fans of real-time strategy games.
The 2026 Esports World Cup is set to be the biggest esports competition in history. However, some worry it might be remembered for overlooking the roots of competitive gaming, specifically by prioritizing an arcade racing game over more established genres.
Grant Taylor-Hill
Grant’s love of video games began very early – he was playing on the Amstrad CPC before he could even walk! Now, he’s a skilled gamer who enjoys playing on many different systems, and his passion for gaming hasn’t faded.
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2026-01-21 01:48