Gen.G Esports punched its ticket to the Esports World Cup playoffs on July 16 by taking down Sentinels in the League of Legends bracket. The win sends Sentinels into a do-or-die match against Karmine Corp for the remaining playoff spot, just one day after Sentinels celebrated their first-ever international League of Legends victory against Team Secret Whales.
Paris, prize pools, and a new kind of sponsor
The 2026 Esports World Cup is the first edition held outside Saudi Arabia, running from July 6 to August 23 in Paris. The total prize pool exceeds $75 million, with the League of Legends segment alone offering $2 million to 16 competing teams.
France’s updated regulatory framework now permits licensed crypto firms to sponsor esports teams for the first time. The change aligns with Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, which went into full effect across the EU and has been steadily reshaping how digital asset companies can operate, market, and partner within European borders.
The EWC’s funding machine
