Esports Nations Cup officially postponed to November 2027

The Esports Foundation (EF) today announced its decision to postpone the Esports Nations Cup from November 2026 to November 2027. The decision comes “following ongoing assessment of the wider regional situation, and after consultation with key stakeholders,” according to the Esports Foundation's official announcement.

"Given ENC’s unprecedented international scale and the uncertainty created by the wider regional situation, EF believes moving the inaugural competition to November 2027 is the responsible decision to provide the certainty and stability that National Teams, publishers, partners and fans expect. ENC brings together teams and stakeholders from more than 100 countries and territories. Saudi Arabia remains fully capable of hosting events, with major sporting and entertainment events continuing as planned.

The decision reflects EF’s commitment to delivering a world-class international competition that meets the standards and long-term ambition on which the Esports Nations Cup was founded. The postponement does not change EF’s commitment to the ENC or to the national esports ecosystems already being built around it.

All existing ENC Development Fund commitments to National Team Partners will remain in place. The ENC Development Fund and related ecosystem development programs will continue, alongside ongoing work with publishers, National Team Partners and other stakeholders. EF will work directly with partners on the implications of the revised timeline and the transition towards the inaugural competition in 2027."

Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation, revealed that the “decision to postpone the Esports Nations Cup was not taken lightly."

“The response from National Team Partners, publishers, players and communities around the world has shown us how much potential this competition has. We owe them an inaugural ENC delivered under the right conditions and at the level this idea deserves. Hosting the tournament in Riyadh next year does not change our commitment. We will continue investing in our National Team Partners, working with publishers and building the national ecosystems already taking shape around the competition. The work continues, and our ambition for ENC remains unchanged," said Ralf Reichert.

It's still unclear what will happen to the nations that had already qualified for this year's edition. It's unknown if the qualified nations will keep their spots or if they will have to compete again to reach the main event.

We will update this article as soon as more information is released.