ESPORTS WORLD CUP FOUNDATION (EWCF) has announced the competition schedule and prize structure for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), a new global tournament centred on national teams. The event will debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, running from 2 to 29 November.
Designed to add a national dimension to the international esports calendar, the Esports Nations Cup complements the club-based Esports World Cup by allowing players to represent their countries. The format is intended to deepen fan engagement by linking elite competition with national identity.
ENC 2026 is supported by a three-part funding commitment worth $45 million, aimed at strengthening the wider esports ecosystem. The model includes prize money for players and coaches, incentives for clubs releasing athletes for national duty, and investment in national team development programs.
Of the total funding, $20 million will be distributed directly to players and coaches across 16 game titles. A further $5 million has been allocated to club incentives, rewarding esports organisations that enable their professional players to participate, with payouts linked to on-stage performance at the event.
An additional $20 million will be delivered through the previously announced ENC Development Fund, which will support Official National Team Partners with logistics, travel, operational costs, national team marketing and the long-term development of national team pathways.
The tournament introduces a placement-based prize system applied uniformly across all titles. Every qualified participant will earn prize money and is guaranteed a minimum of three matches. Equal finishing positions receive equal payouts across all games, with coaches rewarded alongside players for the same placements.
First-place finishers will receive $50,000 per player, whether competing individually or as part of a team. Second place will earn $30,000 per player, while third place pays $15,000 per player. In team-based titles, payouts will scale according to roster size.
The Esports Nations Cup will be staged biennially to provide stability and long-term planning certainty for players, partners and national programs. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Trackmania and Dota 2 have already been confirmed for ENC 2026, with further titles set to be announced shortly.
EWCF CEO Ralf Reichert said, “National teams bring a powerful new layer to esports, one that is accessible, intuitive, and rooted in identity and pride. Clubs are the cultural backbone of esports. Nation-based competition expands the stage, creates new rivalries, and gives more fans a reason to care from day one. Our prize model is designed to keep competition fair and sustainable, rewarding performance while supporting the long-term development of players, Clubs, and national programs.”
