Saudi Arabia to Host Inaugural Esports Nations Cup in 2026
Riyadh, The Gulf Observer: The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has announced the launch of the Esports Nations Cup (ENC), a landmark international tournament that will see the world’s top players represent their countries on a global stage for the first time at this scale.
The announcement was made on Saturday during the New Global Sport Conference in Riyadh, with officials describing the ENC as a defining moment in the evolution of competitive gaming, merging national pride with elite-level esports competition.
The inaugural edition will debut in Riyadh in November 2026, after which the tournament will adopt a rotating host model.
“Nation versus nation competition is the ultimate expression of sport,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of EWCF. “The ENC gives 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 accelerate the growth of esports worldwide.”
The ENC is being co-developed with some of the gaming industry’s leading publishers, including Electronic Arts, Krafton, Tencent, and Ubisoft, to ensure engaging formats, national rankings, and qualification pathways tailored to each game.
National teams from across North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Africa, Asia, and Southeast Asia & Oceania will compete in both solo and team-based events.
A multi-tiered qualification system will combine global rankings, regional qualifiers, and Wildcard entries to ensure diversity and competitive balance. To maintain fairness, all participants will receive equal placement rewards across titles.
The ENC will be staged biennially, providing a stable framework for players, coaches, and national federations, while offering publishers, clubs, and sponsors long-term opportunities to build structured national programs.
The initiative builds on the success of the Esports World Cup, which earlier this year became the largest multi-title esports competition in the world. While the World Cup highlights the achievements of leading clubs globally, the ENC will shift the spotlight toward national identity, aiming to shape esports into a framework more closely aligned with traditional sports.
