AG.AL claims the $7 million Club Championship title after seven weeks featuring more than 2,000 players, 200 Clubs and 25 tournaments

850 million viewers and 440 million hours watched, up 13% and 26% year-on-year, highlight record-breaking event

175,000 tickets sold to esports competitions, up 94% compared to 2025

Total visits across venues, Fan Fest and city activations top 2 million

[Media Kit]

VIDEO: Thank you, Paris

PARIS and RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Esports Foundation announced that AG.AL has been crowned Esports World Cup 2026 Club Champion, bringing seven weeks of competition in Paris, France to a close after more than 2,000 players, representing 200 Clubs and over 100 countries, competed across 25 tournaments in 24 games, for a record-breaking $75 million prize pool.

AG.AL secured the $7 million Club Championship title with 5,300 points after a dramatic win in Trackmania, completing a campaign that also included a first place finish in TEKKEN 8, second place finishes in Chess, Free Fire and the Honor of Kings World Cup, and a third place finish in Teamfight Tactics. Team Falcons finished second with 4,600 points, followed by Team Vitality with 3,300 points, Natus Vincere with 2,950 points, and Team Liquid with 2,700 points.

The title was decided on the final weekend, when AG.AL’s Gwendal “Gwen” Duparc won the EWC’s inaugural Trackmania tournament to secure the Club Championship. Two-time defending Club Champions Team Falcons entered the Trackmania playoffs leading the overall standings, but Carl-Antoni “Carl Jr.” Cloutier’s quarterfinal exit opened the door for AG.AL. Needing to finish third or better, Gwen dominated the final to claim the $130,000 tournament prize and the EWC 2026 Club Championship for AG.AL.

“We are proud of what the Esports World Cup has achieved in Paris and of its continued international growth,” said His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan al Saud, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Esports Foundation. “Bringing the EWC to a global audience beyond Saudi Arabia marks an important milestone in its journey and reflects the growing recognition of esports as a global industry, connecting communities, cultures and audiences around the world. The attendance of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, alongside President Emmanuel Macron, is a testament to the growing importance and global interest in esports, and to how far the industry has come. I extend my congratulations to all the players, Clubs, publishers, partners and organisers who contributed to this edition. Paris has been an important chapter in the EWC journey, and we look forward to building on this progress in the years ahead.”

“When we began expanding AG.AL globally in 2024, the same year the Esports World Cup launched, we set out to build a Club capable of succeeding across games, regions and cultures. This title shows how far that vision has come,” said Eddy Chen, COO at AG.AL. “Our journey in Paris reflected the strength of the entire organization, from M. Zubair’s breakthrough in TEKKEN 8 and our deep runs across multiple titles to Gwen delivering the decisive Trackmania victory under extraordinary pressure. But this trophy belongs equally to every player, coach and staff member whose dedication brought us here. I want to thank our Chairman, Mr. Layne Le, whose belief and leadership made this journey possible, and the Esports Foundation for creating a global stage that rewards the depth and ambition of an entire Club. Winning the Club Championship is a historic milestone for AG.AL and a proud moment for everyone who believed in what we are building.”

From start to finish, EWC Paris 2026 showcased elite play and the very best of esports, as legends rose and new stars were born. France’s Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert led Karmine Corp on a fairytale run to the League of Legends Grand Final in front of a home crowd, while 15-year-old Chilean Jaime “Craime” Bustos defeated two EVO champions to become the youngest EWC champion in history.

AG.AL’s Khawaja “M. Zubair” secured the TEKKEN 8 championship trophy while claiming the Jafonso Award for emerging from the LCQ to win the title. In the closing weeks, Samy “dralii” Hajji became the first-ever three-time EWC champion after his third victory in Rocket League, and grandmaster Magnus Carlsen repeated as Chess champion without losing a single game.

EWC Paris 2026 also established new records across the board compared to 2025. Distributed globally by more than 100 broadcast and OTT partners in 47 languages and supported by 5,000 participating creators and co-streamers, the EWC reached 850 million viewers and generated 440 million hours watched, up 13% and 26%, respectively, with peak viewership of 4.3 million registered during the League of Legends tournament.

The event generated 175,000 tickets sold to esports competitions, up 94% compared to 2025. Including venues, Fan Fest and city activations, 2 million total visits were recorded over the seven-week period.

The EWC 2026 was the culmination of a year-round competitive journey. More than 1.5 million players competed through 330 Road to EWC events, connecting publisher competitions, qualification pathways and the Club Championship into a global season that Clubs, players and fans could follow from the first qualifier to today’s final trophy lift.

“Our ambition has always been bigger than a single event: to grow esports and establish it as a leading global sport,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “The Esports World Cup brings that mission to life by bringing the best games, players, Clubs and communities together on one global stage. Paris embraced the Esports World Cup and made it its own. The city showed that competitive gaming belongs on the world’s biggest stages while staying true to what makes esports special. Thank you to the city of Paris for seven weeks of incredible support and fandom. And congratulations to AG.AL on an extraordinary Club Championship victory and on earning their place in esports history.”

As the first Esports World Cup hosted outside Riyadh, Paris marked a significant step in the event’s global evolution. French Clubs competed in front of sold-out home audiences, more than 22,600 campaign placements carried EWC across the capital to reach 94% of Parisians, and tournament symbols appeared at the city’s most popular landmarks, including on the Champs-Élysées and beside the Eiffel Tower. Record ticket sales culminated with the final weekend’s Counter-Strike tournament moving to the 20,000-seat Accor Arena.

The EWC’s impact will continue beyond the competition weeks. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Esports Foundation and the French Ministry of Sports, Youth and Community Life established a framework for long-term cooperation around youth development, digital skills, esports participation and French talent, building on the connection created between EWC and France this summer.

Paris now sends the Esports World Cup into its next era with new champions, new records and a global foundation for hosting in the world’s leading cities. As the first international host city of the Esports World Cup, Paris will hold a permanent place in EWC history.

The Esports World Cup will return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027.

For more information, visit esportsworldcup.com and follow EWC on X and Instagram, and the Esports Foundation LinkedIn.

About the Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup is the world’s premier annual competition for elite esports Clubs and a global celebration of competitive gaming. Featuring a unique cross-game format that crowns the world’s best Club across multiple titles, the Esports World Cup brings together the industry’s leading players, teams, publishers and fans on one global stage. Hosted in Paris, France, in the summer of 2026, the Esports World Cup continues the Esports Foundation’s mission to advance esports as a leading global sport.

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SOURCE Esports Foundation

SYDNEY, Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Inspira Enterprise, a global leader in cybersecurity, AI and digital transformation services, today announced its strategic expansion into Australia, reinforcing its commitment to helping organizations strengthen cyber resilience, secure AI adoption, and modernize enterprise security operations across the Asia-Pacific region.

With a growing demand for cyber resilience, identity security, AI governance, cloud security, and managed detection and response (MDR), Australia represents a significant milestone in Inspira’s global growth journey. The expansion will enable Australian enterprises and government organizations to leverage Inspira’s deep expertise in delivering outcome-driven cybersecurity services backed by AI-powered innovation.

“Australia is one of the world’s most digitally advanced economies, with organizations accelerating AI adoption while navigating an increasingly sophisticated cyber threat landscape,” said Josef Figueroa, President – ASEAN, Inspira Enterprise. “Our expansion reflects our long-term commitment to the region. We are bringing together global expertise, local talent, strategic technology partnerships, and AI-powered security capabilities to help Australian organizations build resilient, secure, and future-ready digital enterprises.”

“Our vision has always been to help organizations stay ahead of evolving cyber risks through innovation, intelligence, and trusted partnerships,” said Chetan Jain, Co-founder & Managing Director, Inspira Enterprise. “Australia is a strategic market for us, and this expansion strengthens our ability to serve customers with local expertise backed by our global delivery capabilities and 24×7 Cyber Fusion Centers.”

The Australian expansion further strengthens Inspira’s presence across North America, Middle East & Africa, ASEAN and India, enabling customers to access globally consistent cybersecurity services while benefiting from local engagement and regional expertise.

Inspira will be formally launching their operations via a hosted client event at the University of Technology in Sydney on the 26th of August, 2026. If you would like an invite, please email : marketing@inspiraenterprise.com 

About Inspira Enterprise

Inspira Enterprise is a global cybersecurity, AI and digital transformation company helping organizations build resilient, secure, and intelligent enterprises. With operations across North America, ASEAN, the Middle East, Africa, and India. Inspira delivers end-to-end cybersecurity services including advisory, managed security, identity security, cloud security, data protection, AI governance, OT security, and AI-powered SOC operations. Backed by strategic technology partnerships and global Cyber Fusion Centers, Inspira enables organizations to protect critical assets, accelerate digital transformation, and strengthen cyber resilience in an AI-first world.

Media Contact

Marketing & Communications

Arvind Lakshmiratan
Chief Marketing Officer
Arvind.lakshmiratan@inspiraenterprise.com

Email: marketing@inspiraenterprise.com
Website: www.inspiraenterprise.com

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SOURCE Inspira Enterprise

Australia’s leading furniture retailer replaces legacy planning tools with AI-driven forecasting and replenishment to improve availability, cut costs, and manage complex supply chain challenges

SYDNEY, Australia, Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Amart Furniture has selected RELEX Solutions to replace its legacy planning system with AI-driven forecasting and replenishment across its 66 stores and four distribution centers (DCs). The RELEX AI-native planning platform will help Amart improve forecast accuracy, increase product availability, reduce inventory costs, and automate planning processes.

Amart offers more than 2,000 products, from sofas and dining sets to home décor and signature collections. Managing seasonal demand, long import lead times, and complex delivery schedules placed increasing pressure on its planning processes. Its legacy planning process relied heavily on manual work and spreadsheets, making it difficult to respond quickly to changing demand and support the company’s continued growth.

With RELEX, Amart will be able to forecast demand at the DC and Store level, factoring in delivered-sales timing and pre-sold quantities to protect service levels and smooth inbound inventory flow. Where container optimization has historically been a manual and costly process, RELEX will optimize purchase orders against fill, weight, and volume constraints to build cost-efficient import loads. It will also continuously learn from the gap between expected and actual supplier lead times, automatically adjusting safety stock and order timing so Amart’s planning teams spend less time managing supply uncertainty and more time on decisions that move the business forward.

“We wanted a planning platform that could keep pace with our business and give our teams greater confidence in the decisions they make every day,” said Gary Draper, Planning Manager at Amart Furniture. “RELEX stood out for its ability to manage the complexity of our supply chain while giving us the flexibility to adapt as our business evolves. We’re looking forward to building a stronger planning foundation that supports both our operations and our customers.”

“Amart selected RELEX for its ability to address the supply chain challenges unique to furniture retail,” said Rod Talbot, VP APAC at RELEX Solutions. “Container optimization, variable lead times, and seasonal demand require a level of planning precision that legacy systems cannot deliver at scale. We’re looking forward to working with Amart to bring that precision to their planning and help their teams make faster, more confident decisions every day.”

About Amart Furniture

For over 50 years, Amart has been helping Australians transform their houses into homes by creating beautiful living spaces that are stylish, functional, affordable and comfortable. We believe style should be enjoyed every day, not tiptoed around.

With over 2000+ high quality products to choose from, including comfortable sofas and stylish dining sets right through to home decor and exclusively curated signature collections, Amart can help you find something to suit every corner, finish every room and complete every home.

In our 65 stores across Australia, you’ll always find a friendly team of experts who are ready to help out and inspire you, with amazing deals and offers, all year round.

About RELEX

RELEX Solutions provides an AI platform for intelligent decision-making and automation across complex operational environments. Trusted by 600+ customers globally, RELEX helps retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers plan, decide, and act across demand, inventory, merchandising, pricing, and supply chain operations.

Built on two decades of domain expertise and a unified data foundation, the RELEX platform helps companies to deploy, connect, and scale capabilities on a single platform, to innovate at their own pace. Leading brands like ADUSA, Camco, Carhartt, COSMOS Pharmaceutical Corporation, Circle K, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, M&S Food, PetSmart, Rituals, The Body Shop, The Home Depot, Sun Tire & Auto Service, and Vita Coco use RELEX to run and continuously evolve their operations. Learn more at: relexsolutions.com/customers

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SOURCE RELEX Solutions