OpTic Gaming emerged victorious in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 tournament at the Esports World Cup 2026. The North American team not only retained their championship title but also helped the game achieve a new record for Average Viewers in the EWC series.
EWC 2026 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 viewership outcomes
The Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 tournament amassed over 5.6 million Hours Watched, marking the highest result for the title in all Esports World Cup events and a 34% increase from the previous year. Average Viewers also saw a notable rise: EWC 2026 drew in more than 132.3K concurrent viewers on average, showing a 12.2% increase compared to the previous year. This growth was largely driven by a rise in unique broadcasting channels and strong engagement from French-speaking viewers on Twitch.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 tournament reached a peak of 271.8K viewers, showing a 1.1% increase from the previous year — setting a new series record. As anticipated, the most-watched match was the grand final showdown between OpTic Gaming and Team Heretics, with a 5:3 victory for the North American team.
Seth “Scump” Abner’s channels were the primary destination for viewers during the tournament, as he remains the most popular community caster for Call of Duty. However, French streamer Broky “brawks” Brawks — a former professional player now streaming for Team Vitality — also significantly contributed to the viewership at EWC 2026. His broadcasts peaked at over 56.3K viewers, surpassing Scump on Twitch and becoming the platform’s top streamer during the tournament.
Most popular Call of Duty tournaments in the EWC series
EWC 2026 ranked as the fourth-most-popular Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 tournament of 2026 in terms of Peak Viewers. The CDL 2026 Stage 4 Major remains the top event of the year, attracting over 379.5K concurrent viewers.
Most popular Call of Duty tournaments in 2026 so far
EWC 2026 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 tournament outcomes
OpTic Gaming has now secured back-to-back Esports World Cup titles. Last year, the North American squad defeated Vancouver Surge with a 4:0 victory before overcoming Team Heretics 5:3 in this year’s grand final. OpTic Gaming took home $600,000 from the $1.8 million prize pool of the tournament, along with 1,000 Club Championship points. The organization currently shares 15th place with several other clubs.
OpTic Gaming continues to draw the largest audiences in Call of Duty, with their matches consistently attracting the highest livestreaming numbers. Simultaneously, the professional scene of the game shows potential for further expansion, as seen in the growth of French-language broadcasts. French became the second-most-popular broadcast language at Esports World Cup 2026, despite only two French players participating in the tournament.
Esports Charts has introduced a dedicated EWC Hub where you can monitor the results and viewership statistics of every Esports World Cup 2026 tournament. From new viewership records and the most popular teams to leading community casters and the EWC Club Championship standings, all the essential data is now accessible in one place and updated regularly.