ESWC's grand finals will be returning to Paris in 2009. A press release sent out today confirms that next year's event will be held in the International Arena of Sport and Entertainment, Bercy.

This change of location represents a true home-coming for the French organisation, this being the third ESWC event to be held in Bercy in the tournament's seven year history.

The tournament will take place between June 26 and 28 next year. Although ESWC has come back to Europe, the finals will be run alongside another event, just like in San Jose last month. This time it will be competing for attention with the 4th Gaming Show of Paris.

The seventh ESWC campaign kicks off in Athens next month and will continue with national preliminaries and more 'Masters' tournaments until the grand finals next year. The Athens event begins on October 18.