IESF World Esports Championship Returns to Indonesia in 2026, a Decade After Its Debut
The International Esports Federation (IESF) World Esports Championship (WEC) 2026 tournament will be hosted in Indonesia from December 15 to 20, marking the third time the country has staged this prestigious tournament. This year’s edition also commemorates the 10th anniversary of Indonesia’s debut as host in 2016.
The 2026 championship will feature five game titles: Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, PUBG Mobile, and eFootball. More than 500 athletes from over 110 Member National Federations are expected to arrive in Indonesia to represent their countries on the global stage. During the event, various representatives from 152 Member National Federations will also attend the IESF Ordinary General Meeting.
Vlad Marinescu, President of IESF, expressed gratitude to the Indonesian esports community for its commitment and contribution to the growth of esports, both domestically and internationally.
“We are grateful to our Indonesian Esports family for their continuous dedication and support of esports. Together we have made history, organizing the biggest esports event on a beach, in Bali 2022, and now we are sure that together we will provide the best experience and conditions for all athletes who have qualified for this event. They represent their countries and will fight for the opportunity to raise their national flag,” Marinescu said in an official statement.
The history of IESF WEC can be traced back to IESF's first-ever tournament, the IESF Challenge 2009, held in Taebaek, South Korea, in December. The world championship format took shape when the first IESF e-Sports World Championship (IESF WC) was hosted in Andong, South Korea, in October 2011. The tournament was then held annually in various cities like Bucharest, Baku, Seoul, Kaohsiung, and many others. In 2020, IESF had to cancel the IESF WEC 2020 global finals due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Indonesia first hosted the IESF WEC in October 2016, during the tournament’s eighth edition. Held at the Ancol Beach Auditorium (now Beach City International Stadium) in Jakarta, the event included Counter-Strike, Hearthstone, and League of Legends. South Korea’s national esports team emerged as the overall champion, securing the highest points combined across all games and winning the League of Legends category.
The championship returned to Indonesia in December 2022, this time in Bali, with seven game titles: Counter-Strike (men’s and women’s divisions), Dota 2, PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Tekken 7, and eFootball. The Bali edition was recognized as the largest esports event ever held on a beach, with over 600 athletes representing 105 participating countries. Indonesia’s national team triumphed in three categories: Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and eFootball.
Indonesia’s selection as host for the third time underscores the country’s immense esports market potential and the seriousness of its community and stakeholders in advancing the industry. To illustrate this, the Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) Indonesia is among the most-watched esports leagues globally, with peak concurrent viewers (PCV) reaching 4.1 million people. With such potential, the return of IESF WEC to Indonesia is expected to further accelerate the growth of the nation’s esports ecosystem.
