The world’s best esports competitors will now get to represent their country as Esports World Cup Foundation announced the Esports Nations Cup.
“Nation versus nation competition is the ultimate expression of sport,” Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, said during the August 23 announcement. “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 flagship competition is the first of its kind and promises to deliver a biennial event where the world’s best players represent their countries, not their clubs.
According to EWCF, the inaugural edition – which will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2026 – will be co-developed with the publishers and video game companies, including Electronic Arts, Krafton, Tencent, and Ubisoft. Subsequent competitions will take place in rotating host cities around the world.
The foundation aims to have at least “32 qualification slots per game,” spanning seven regions of the world: North America, South America, Europe, Middle East & North Africa, Africa, Asia, and South East Asia & Oceania. Players will compete in both team and individual tournaments and will either be invited to participate or qualify online in order to “balance competitiveness and inclusivity.”
The announcement was made during the New Global Sports Conference in Riyadh on August 23.
