Developed with Kolex, the inaugural trading card collection celebrates the players and Clubs of the world’s largest esports and gaming event, giving fans a new way to own a piece of esports history

Inspired by Paris and visual traditions synonymous with global sport, the apparel collections and jackets commemorate the first international edition of EWC and celebrate the players and communities shaping competitive gaming

PARIS/RIYADH (August 11, 2026) – The Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC) today unveiled its first official Trading Card Collection alongside its Paris-inspired apparel collection and exclusive Player Jackets, bringing one of global sport’s most enduring traditions to competitive gaming and creating new symbols of esports culture.

The launches are part of the EWC’s inaugural international edition in Paris, where more than 2,000 players representing 200 Clubs from over 100 countries are competing over seven weeks at the world’s largest esports and gaming event.

EWC Trading Cards Collection

For more than a century, trading cards have helped define the fan experience across the world’s biggest sports. From baseball and football to Formula 1 and the FIFA World Cup, they have transformed athletes into collectibles, creating lasting connections between generations of fans and the competitions they love.

Now, the Esports World Cup is bringing that tradition to global esports.

Developed through a multi-year partnership with Kolex, the inaugural collection honors the standout players and Clubs of EWC 2025 with collectible cards, creating an annual record of the EWC.

Unlike traditional esports competitions centered on a single title, the EWC 2026 brings together the world’s leading games, players, and Clubs under one banner. The Trading Card Collection reflects that scale, featuring competitors from across multiple esports alongside the Clubs they represent in a single collection.

The collection commemorates the players of the EWC, featuring players and Clubs across six card collections: Legends, MVPs, Rookies, Centurions, Prestige, and the one-of-one Elite and Chronicles cards. The first 100 of each base card are individually numbered and include a digital twin for collectors. Some of the rarest cards will only become possible because of performances that unfold during the tournament itself, ensuring the competition continues to shape the collection as history is made.

Beyond collecting, pack openings, player signings and limited-edition releases extend the EWC experience outside the arena throughout the tournament. Every card features a QR code that unlocks a digital twin in the Kolex app, allowing fans to connect their physical collection with a digital one. By scanning cards, collectors can earn points, compete on global leaderboards, and unlock rewards as the tournament unfolds.

The inaugural collection marks the beginning of an annual series that will chronicle every edition of the Esports World Cup.

EWC26 Paris Apparel Collection and Player Jackets

The EWC26 Paris Collection on the other hand reflects the growing role of esports in contemporary culture. It gives players and fans apparel pieces that represent the stories that define each edition of the competition.

The collection draws directly from one of France’s most recognizable decorative traditions, Toile de Jouy, reinterpreting the historic textile to tell the story of the EWC through the visual language of Paris itself. The designs weave the tournament into the city’s own artistic heritage, incorporating the EWC Trophy and the Eiffel Tower as commemorative elements within the pattern.

Alongside it, the EWC26 Capsule Collection reflects the increasing influence of sport across fashion and entertainment. The lifestyle apparel focuses on silhouette, tailoring, and premium materials, inspired by the way today’s professional players, creators, and Club executives travel, work, compete, and appear offstage.

Central to the collection is the latest edition of the EWC Player’s Jacket, created in partnership with Berlin-based menswear brand AKOG Hotel (A Kind of Guise), whose previous collaborations include adidas, Monocle, and Nanamica. 

First introduced in 2024 and awarded exclusively to players who qualify for EWC, the jacket has become a symbol of excellence among pro players. Each EWC 2026 Player’s Jacket will be decorated with EWC’s “Rise Above” motto, a Paris patch to commemorate where the player earned the jacket, as well as a hidden inscription that links the wearer to the championship trophy.

Originally created as a player-exclusive item, the Players’ Jacket was released to the public for the first time in 2025 in response to fan demand, which intensified after sporting icon Cristiano Ronaldo was seen wearing it. For 2026, the Esports Foundation will release its second-ever EWC Players’ Jacket Public Edition for fans in a limited-edition colorway.

A limited-edition public tribute of 40 units in an exclusive colorway will be released over the course of the event, enabling fans to own a piece inspired by the jacket worn by the world’s best players while preserving the significance of the original.

“Every Esports World Cup creates unforgettable champions, breakout stars and defining moments,” said Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer, The Esports Foundation. “Our trading cards turn those moments into lasting collectibles, giving fans around the world a new way to celebrate the players and Clubs at the heart of the competition while building a collection that will become part of the tournament’s legacy. The EWC26 Paris Collection is inspired by Paris, but it’s ultimately about the people who make the Esports World Cup what it is: the players, Clubs and communities who come together here every summer.”

The inaugural EWC Trading Card Collection will be available through the official online store, at the EWC Fan Fest in Paris, and at Kolex.com.

The EWC26 Paris Collection is live at shop.esportsworldcup.com and at the EWC 2026 Fan Fest with a series of exclusive drops continuing throughout the Esports World Cup’s seven-week run in Paris.