Norwegian esports organisation HEROIC has officially exited the 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC) Club Partner Programme after recently shutting down its Dota 2 division.
The announcement was made through an official statement posted on X by HEROIC. The organisation said it had “mutually agreed” with the Esports Foundation (EF) to end its participation in the programme because it no longer meets the requirements following internal organisational changes.
The move comes shortly after HEROIC announced its departure from Dota 2 earlier this month. The organisation disbanded its roster and released players and staff, despite having strong performances in South America and a growing fanbase in the game.
At the time, HEROIC said the decision was made because Dota 2 was not financially sustainable in the long run. The organisation explained that even with competitive success and commercial efforts, the costs of operating in the game were higher than the returns.
HEROIC’s Dota 2 exit happened during the season and shortly before major events such as DreamLeague, EWC qualification events, and The International 2026.
The EWC Club Partner Programme is designed for major esports organisations that compete across multiple game titles. Around 40 clubs are selected each year and receive financial and promotional support from the Esports Foundation.
Partner organisations reportedly receive six-figure funding support, with some clubs able to earn up to around $1 million through additional performance incentives tied to fan engagement, marketing, and content creation.
To stay in the programme, clubs must continue competing in multiple esports titles and maintain strong competitive and commercial activity. HEROIC’s exit from Dota 2 removed a key part of its multi-title presence, making the organisation no longer eligible for the partnership programme and losing all the aforementioned financial benefits.
In fact, Karmine Corp CEO Arthur Perticoz recently talked about the financial downside of not being part of the EWC partner program, saying a team can miss out on roughly $200K–$300K, which puts even more pressure on their budgets. Therefore, losing the EWC money will add direct strain on the HEROIC’s budget.
Even after leaving the partner programme, HEROIC can still compete in Esports World Cup events through normal qualification routes, especially in Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), which remains the organisation’s main title.
The Esports Radar has contacted EF to determine whether a replacement for HEROIC will be named. While the Foundation has no official stance yet, we will provide updates as new facts come to light. Eyes now turn to organisations like Karmine Corp, FaZe, and LOUD, which were left out of this year’s EWC Partner Program.
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