The eSports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) introduced a new project, and many consider it a milestone in the world of eSports. It announced the eSports Nations Cup (ENC), set to debut in Riyadh in November 2026.
This is the first time EWCF is stepping up from club competition to a national-team competition. It was a long-awaited move, and fans of eSports have already expressed their desire to support their national teams, as they do in traditional sports.
What is the eSport Nations Cup?
The eSport Nations Cup will be a biennial, multi-title tournament in which the world's greatest eSport players will represent their national teams rather than an eSports club. EWCF already organises the eSports World Cup, a multinational tournament in which teams compete against each other. The upcoming tournament would lean into the national identity.
According to this Bc Game review, the eSports betting market is already international and growing, and there's significant fan interest in these events. Sites such as these allow players to place wagers on eSports events and to do so fast and safely.
Dates, Place, and Projected Scale
Organisers have already announced an ambitious plan for the event's scale. It should include over 100 national teams from around the world and at least 15 different games, balancing regional favourites with those played globally.
The two-year period between the tournaments should be enough to create a qualification structure and build anticipation, while allowing players and teams to stick to other commitments. The first one will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2026. The venue will change every two years, as is the case with the World Cup in traditional sports.
Partners, Stakeholders, And Organisational Backing
The eSports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) is a nonprofit entity that's based in Riyadh. It has partnered with some of the industry's biggest companies to build the new tournament's profile. The partners include Electronic Arts, Krafton, Tencent, and Ubisoft, with others joining soon.
"Nation versus nation competition is the ultimate expression of sport," said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. "The ENC makes this a reality for eSports, giving every fan a flag to rally behind and every player the pride of representing their country. It's a stage to create heroes, inspire the next generation, and, together with our partners and stakeholders, build the national ecosystems that will accelerate the growth of eSports worldwide."
The partners will have a role in organising national rankings, qualification processes, and competitive formats, as the details are still not precise.
Format and Qualification
We know very little about the format and qualifications at this point, but the tournament could learn a lot from similar events in traditional sports. The main ways to qualify will include global rankings, regional qualifiers, wildcard (or "solidarity") slots, and regional quotas to ensure inclusivity across the globe.
The completion will include individual and team-based games. Some titles already in the EWC roster are expected to carry over into the ENC, and others will be brand new. Potential may include working with different publishers and aligning eSports ecosystems across 100 countries.
Why Riyadh?
Choosing Riyadh to host the first ENC isn't a coincidence. Saudi Arabia has been working for some time to position itself as the center of eSports. This is part of their Vision 2030 project, which included hosting high-profile events, infrastructure, and gaming initiatives.
The choice isn't without controversy, and many fans, teams, and the public in general have already complained about the nature of the Saudi regime and the attempt to whitewash by hosting similar events. These complaints will just intensify as ENC gets more attention.
What to Watch for Next
The first thing to watch for next is how the national federations will organise the selection process. If they manage to do so in a way that's fair and inclusive, the tournament will become a truly representative event.
It's also important to consider how fans will react to ENC. If it becomes a matter of national pride to represent your country in it, then the organisers' main goal will be achieved. It may take time to elicit such a reaction.
To Sum Up
The Esports Nations Cup will take place in November 2026 in Saudi Arabia. It should be a significant shift in how international eSports tournaments are organised. For the first time, the teams would be national, as is the case with traditional sports. The tournament should take place every two years, with a qualification system set up between the two.
There are still many details to work out, but we know there will be over 100 teams and 15 games, and that the tournament will include both solo and team sports. Now that eSports are widely popular, an international tournament seems like a logical next step.