KWC at EWC 2026 India Qualifier schedule revealed with an intense format

The registrations for the first-ever KWC at EWC 2026 India Qualifier are now live, paving a direct path to the global stage.

Teams of five to eight players can participate in the Open Qualifiers, running from April 30 to May 3. Out of 256 teams, the top five will advance to the Online Playoffs, scheduled from May 8 to 10.

These teams will compete alongside the three City Qualifier winners, Revenant XSpark, S8UL Esports, and Æternity Esports, for a spot in the offline Grand Final on May 17.

The Playoffs will feature a single-elimination bracket, which means there is no room to make mistakes.

While each match will be a best-of-seven, I would have preferred a double-elimination bracket to make the format less unforgiving, especially given that it will decide the two teams representing India at the Honor of Kings World Cup 2026.

KWC at EWC 2026 India Qualifier Prize Pool

While the KWC will have $3 million up for grabs, the India Qualifier will have a terrible prize pool of ₹500,000 (~$5,311).

The winner of the tournament will receive around ₹175,000 (~$1,859), with the runner-up taking home ₹100,000 (~$1,062) and here is the rest of the distribution:

• 3rd: ₹75,000 (~$797)
• 4th: ₹50,000 (~$531)
• 5th to 8th: ₹25,000 (~265)

The event will be streamed live on Honor of Kings India’s official YouTube channel, with further details about the tournament expected to be revealed at a later date.