THE ESPORTS WORLD CUP FOUNDATION (EWCF) has announced the Esports Nations Cup (ENC), a landmark tournament where the world’s best esports players will compete while representing their countries. The recurring event aims to bring national pride to the global esports stage.
The inaugural edition will be co-developed with the publishers and video game companies including Electronic Arts, Krafton, Tencent, and Ubisoft. Each publisher will play a role in shaping their respective game’s national ranking systems, qualification pathways, and event formats — ensuring the ENC resonates with fans and upholds the highest standards of competition.
National teams from across major regions — North America, South America, Europe, MENA, Africa, Asia, and Southeast Asia & Oceania — will compete in both team-based and solo formats. A multi-layered qualification structure will balance competitiveness and inclusivity, combining global rankings, regional qualifiers, and Wildcard entries, including solidarity placements, to guarantee broad and fair representation.
All players will receive guaranteed prize money, with equal placement rewards across every game to ensure fairness. The EWCF will also collaborate with regional stakeholders to determine how national teams are formed and represented.
The ENC will take place every two years, offering consistency for players, coaches, and esports organisations, while providing publishers, clubs, and partners with confidence to invest in long-term national team programmes.
As the latest addition to the EWCF portfolio, the ENC builds on the momentum of the Esports World Cup (EWC). While the EWC unites the world’s top clubs, the ENC unlocks a new competitive frontier defined by national identity and regional pride.
The inaugural ENC will debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2026, before moving to a rotating host model.
EWCF CEO Ralf Reichert said, “Nation versus nation competition is the ultimate expression of sport. 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.”
