ASUS Takes Excel Esports to Global Landmarks in New MEWC Partnership Event

ASUS has announced an official partnership with the Microsoft Excel World Championship (MEWC) for a special competition called the Landmark Battle, a one-of-a-kind Excel Esports event that places four of the world’s top competitive spreadsheet players at iconic global locations including New York, London, Paris, and Sydney. The event streams live on July 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM London Time on the official Excel Esports YouTube channel.

If the premise sounds unusual, that is part of the point. Excel Esports has spent the past few years quietly building one of the more genuinely surprising corners of competitive gaming, turning Microsoft’s ubiquitous spreadsheet application into a timed problem-solving sport with a growing global following, dedicated rankings, local chapters across multiple continents, and a world championship boasting a $100,000 prize fund. The Landmark Battle takes that established competitive scene and adds an outdoor element, challenging players to perform under real weather conditions at some of the most photographed locations in the world.

The Setup: ExpertBook Ultra and ZenScreen OLED

Each competitor will run their matches on an ASUS ExpertBook Ultra, the company’s flagship business ultraportable, paired with an ASUS ZenScreen OLED MQ16FC portable monitor. The combined setup weighs 1.67 kg and is designed around the demands of mobile professionals who cannot compromise on display quality or processing headroom.

The ExpertBook Ultra tips the scales at 0.99 kg and runs on an Intel Core Ultra X9 Series 3 processor with Intel Arc Pro graphics. Its 14-inch 3K Tandem OLED display delivers up to 1,400 nits of HDR brightness with an anti-glare coating, a meaningful spec for anyone trying to read a spreadsheet cell under direct sunlight at the base of the Eiffel Tower. Battery life is rated at up to 26 hours. The ZenScreen OLED MQ16FC brings a 16-inch 16:10 OLED panel into the mix at 0.68 kg, connecting via a single cable to give competitors the expanded screen real estate that serious Excel work demands.

The Competitors

The Landmark Battle brings together four established names from the Excel Esports circuit:

• Andrew Ngai (Australia) — Three-time Microsoft Excel World Champion. Recognized for analytical precision and structured problem-solving under pressure, Ngai is the most decorated player in the field.
• Diarmuid Early (Ireland) — The reigning Microsoft Excel World Champion and freshly crowned European Open champion, having taken first place at the Amsterdam event in May 2026 across 30 represented countries. Early is known for high-speed execution and aggressive spreadsheet strategy.
• Nicolas Micot (France) — One of the more consistent performers across recent MEWC seasons, with strong online results. His adaptability makes him a natural fit for the unpredictable outdoor format.
• Jaq Kennedy (United Kingdom) — Known for composure during high-pressure matchups. In a format where environment and rapid pivots can determine the outcome, composure has real competitive value.

About Excel Esports and MEWC

The Microsoft Excel World Championship is organized by the Financial Modeling World Cup (FMWC) and has grown into one of the more media-covered niche sports in the tech world, earning features from outlets including ESPN and the Wall Street Journal, and of course Back2Gaming.

Competition tasks are built around logical puzzle-solving within Excel, with no prior finance or domain knowledge required. The 2026 season runs nine online qualifying battles through September, a qualification round on September 26, and group stages in October, with the Finals scheduled for November 30 through December 2, 2026 in Las Vegas.

The Landmark Battle is a special promotional event separate from the main championship ladder. Exclusive product deals tied to the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra and ZenScreen OLED will go live at the time of the July 10 stream.

As for where the Finals land — the MEWC 2026 championship will close out its season at the HyperX Arena in Las Vegas. ASUS, for its part, appears to be a good sport about it.