Esports World Cup Details Street Fighter 6 Format & Qualification Path

The Esports World Cup has officially revealed the tournament overview for Street Fighter 6 at this year’s event, outlining changes to both qualification and format as the competition continues to cement its place as one of the most important stages in fighting game esports.

The EWC is now entering its third official year, or fourth if one counts Gamers8, where Kakeru famously took the title. Since then, the event has steadily grown in prestige, but this year marks a notable tightening of the field.

Reduced Player Count and Qualification Focus

In previous editions, Street Fighter 6 at the Esports World Cup featured 48 competitors. For 2026, that number has been reduced to just 32, making qualification significantly more difficult.

A major point of discussion is how heavily the qualification process leans toward Capcom Cup. A total of 16 slots are directly tied to Capcom Cup-related results, with the Street Fighter League World Championship accounting for 12 of those places, as all participating players in that event are already guaranteed entry into EWC.

Additional slots are reserved for the defending champion Xiao Hai and the top four finishers at Capcom Cup itself.

Beyond that, four players will qualify via a Last Chance Qualifier, while the remaining 11 slots are yet to be defined. These undecided positions have sparked debate, with some fans expressing concern over limited opportunities for elite players outside the Capcom Cup ecosystem. Still, with those 11 spots unassigned, there remains room for Capcom and EWC organizers to widen the net.

Updated Tournament Format

While the prize pool remains unchanged at a hefty $1,000,000, the tournament format has seen a significant overhaul.

In contrast to previous years, which used a GSL-style group format similar to what Capcom Cup is running this season, the 2026 Esports World Cup will begin with four groups of eight players. Each group will be played as a double-elimination bracket, with the top four players from each group advancing.

The second phase will again use a double-elimination format, this time splitting the remaining 16 players into two groups of eight. From there, the top four players in each group will qualify for the final stage.

The finals will return to a familiar structure, using a single-elimination bracket with best-of-nine matches all the way through to determine the champion.

Early Qualified Players and What Comes Next

So far, 13 players have already secured qualification, including Big Bird, AngryBird, MenaRD, Daigo Umehara, Tokido, and Fuudo.

Further announcements are expected as the remaining qualification slots are finalized. What is already clear, however, is that making it to the Esports World Cup in Street Fighter 6 will be more competitive than ever, with fewer spots, stricter pathways, and little room for error.