Highlights
- Esports Nations Cup 2026 has confirmed twelve titles so far.
- The titles span multiple genres including mobile, PC, fighting games, racing, and mind games.
- Running through Nov 2-29 in Riyadh, ENC 2026 emphasizes a nation-based esports model with $45M in total funding.
The Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC 2026) has added one more esports circuits in its competitive lineup, with the confirmation of VALORANT on Feb 20, 2026. The announcement expands the ENC’s slate to ten confirmed titles for its inaugural edition, adding to the already confirmed titles including Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), Trackmania, Fatal Fury, Honor of Kings, PUBG: Battlegrounds, and Chess.
ENC 2026 is Esports World Cup Foundation's (EWCF) latest venture into the global esports landscape with a nation-based structure, closely following the traditional sports structure. The tournament is scheduled on Nov 2-29, 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
ENC 2026 features 16 titles, and the confirmed titles thus far show a balanced, multi-genre ecosystem that spans mobile gaming, PC esports, fighting games, racing, and intellectual competition. It is backed by a $45 million USD funding commitment from the EWCF.
1. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB)
According to ENC organizers, the tournament will feature national teams selected through regional qualifiers (14 teams), supplemented with 16 direct invitations, and two wildcard entries. Direct invitations will be given based on the newly introduced MLBB national ranking system, with submission of the national cut-off ending on Aug 2, 2026.
The regional qualifiers across eight competitive regions will run through Aug 14-16, 2026. The reported lineup reflects the game’s dominance in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and parts of the Middle East.
2. Trackmania
Trackmania joined the ENC lineup as its sole racing esports title as of late January 2026. The competition is scheduled for Nov 19-22, 2026, featuring 32 national teams in total.
According to ENC disclosures, 14 teams will qualify through international circuits, 16 will receive direct invitations, and two wildcard entries will be allocated to emerging regions. The Trackmania national ranking cut-off date closes on May 31, 2026.
Regional Qualifiers for the Trackmania Esports Nations Cup are scheduled on June 19-21, 2026. Carl-Antoni “Carl Jr.” Cloutier, a seven-time world champion, may take part in ENC 2026. The tournament will feature a $250K prize pool.
3. Dota 2
Dota 2 was confirmed as the third title joining the ENC 2026 lineup, with with $1.5M prize pool. The tournament is scheduled for Nov 2-8, 2026, featuring 32 national teams.
The teams will include 14 teams from regional qualifiers, 16 direct invitee teams, and two wildcard entries. The Dota 2 circuit national ranking system and invitations will be determined using performance data from major Tier-1 Dota 2 tournaments, with roster cut-off closing on June 7, 2026.
4. FATAL FURY
FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves was introduced as ENC’s primary fighting game title in February 2026. The tournament will run from Nov 12-15, 2026, featuring 32 individual competitors representing their respective countries.
The competition format includes 13 players from regional qualifiers, 16 direct invitee teams, and three wildcard entries. Invitations will be based on the official SNK World Championship 2026 results, with eligibility deadlines set for June 28, 2026.
The double-elimination regional qualifiers will run on July 3-5, 2026, across 13 competitive regions. Every region will provide only one ticket to FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves ENC 2026, assuring geographic diversity in the competition.
5. Chess
The Chess ENC 2026 was announced as part of ENC’s expansion into mind sports and its fifth confirmed title. The tournament is scheduled for Nov 2-8, 2026, and will feature 128 players, each representing their respective country.
According to the ENC framework, 64 players will qualify through the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) rankings and will receive direct invitations. Regional qualifiers will provide 56 slots, and the remaining eight will be wildcard entries. The cut-off date for determining invitees closes on May 26, 2026.
Online qualifiers on the Chess.com website will run across seven regions. Deviating from other circuits at ENC 2026, Chess will have two regional qualifiers in each competitive zone, scheduled on June 6-7 and June 13-14, 2026, respectively. The entire Chess ENC 2026 event will feature $600K prize pool.
6. Counter-Strike 2
CS2 was confirmed for ENC 2026 as the tournament’s flagship first-person shooter on Feb 8, 2026. The main event is scheduled for Nov 10-15, 2026, with 24 national teams competing for a $1.32M prize pool.
The CS2 ENC 2026 deviates from other titles; it has a two-part qualification structure, consisting of both National Qualifiers and Regional Qualifiers. There will be 96 national qualifiers and ten regional qualifiers across ten competitive zones.
This structure represents the depth of the CS2 bracket at ENC 2026. Organizers expect more than 15K players to take part in the national qualifiers, making it the largest national qualification tournament ever staged. Regional qualifiers will be in double-elimation format.
7. Honor of Kings
The Honor of Kings circuit was officially added to the ENC 2026 lineup on Feb 8, 2026. The tournament is scheduled to take place from Nov 24-29, 2026, featuring 24 national teams.
According to ENC organizers, the competition will include nine teams selected through regional qualifiers, 12 direct invitations, and three wildcard entries. Direct invites will be determined through the ENC National Team Ranking for Honor of Kings, with eligibility submissions closing on June 7, 2026. Regional qualification tournaments across nine competitive regions are scheduled for July 3-5, 2026, after the selection of direct invites.
8. EA Sports FC
EA Sports FC was officially confirmed as the eighth title for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC 2026). 128 players will represent their countries under the EA Sports FC tournament structure, competing in a multi-stage tournament on Nov 17-22, 2026. As per the announcement, the EA Sports FC ENC 2026 offers a $600K USD prize pool and a gold medal to the winner.
Like all other confirmed esports titles, qualification for the EA Sports FC tournament integrates three pathways. 64 players will receive direct invitations based on their standing in the official EA SPORTS FC Pro World Rankings (limited to one per nation), 56 will qualify from regional qualifiers, and eight will be selected via wildcard slots. This structure guarantees that ENC represents at least 64 nations for the title, increasing from 36-nation participation at EWC 2025 EA Sports FC event.
Regional qualifiers for EA Sports FC at ENC 2026 will run from July 27-Aug 2, 2026, after the submission of the rankings cutoff on July 26. Qualifiers will run across ten competitive regions, featuring an open in-game ladder followed by Swiss and double-elimination stages.
9. Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siege was officially added to the ENC 2026 program in the championship’s 16-title lineup on Feb 14, 2026. The tournament is scheduled to take place from Nov 18-22, 2026, featuring 24 national teams representing their countries.
According to the ENC framework, seeding for the main event will include 12 invitee teams based on the Siege National Team Ranking, ten teams selected from regional qualifiers, and two wildcard entries. The regional qualifiers across all five competitive regions (North and South Americas, Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and Europe) will run on May 29-31, 2026, after the submission of the national cut-offs on May 17. Each region will provide two slots.
The Rainbow Six Siege tournament will feature best-of-one (Bo1) matches in the group stage, and Bo3 playoff matches, with the Grand Final transitioning into a Bo5 format. Organizers have also confirmed a $1.32M prize pool for the title.
10. PUBG: Battlegrounds
ENC 2026 has added PUBG: Battlegrounds tournaments to its competitive lineup, featuring a $1.12M prize pool. The organizer informed that the event is scheduled on Nov 11-15, featuring 24 national teams representing their countries.
As per the ENC announcement, the tournament will have “large-scale maps, ever-shrinking zones, and constant strategic tension,” to bring PUBG’s “genre-defining” battle-royal game at ENC. The qualification system will combine 12 invitee teams, ten qualified teams from regional qualifiers, and two wildcard entries. The invitee teams will be selected based on Krafton PUBG Power Rankings.
The regional qualifiers will run from July 10 to 12, 2026, across all four competitive regions. Three regions across the Americas, Southeast Asia and Oceania, and Asia will provide two slots each. The fourth region, combining Europe, Middle East, and Africa, will provide four slots to ENC 2026.
Unlike the previously confirmed titles, PUBG: Battlegrounds ENC 2026 event will feature only two stages: the group stage and grand finals. The grand finals will feature the top 16 teams from the Group Stage fighting across ten matches with the Smash Rule system.
11. Apex Legends
ENC 2026 added Apex Legends in the championship’s 16-title lineup on Feb 19, 2026, with a $1.2M prize pool. The tournament is scheduled for Week 4 of ENC, from Nov 26-29, 2026, featuring 40 national teams representing their countries.
The Apex Legends tournament will be segmented into a group stage and the Grand Final. The top 20 teams from the group stage will advance into “a match point final.” During finals, teams need to accumulate enough points to activate match point, and then win the game to become champions.
ESPORTS NATIONS CUP 2026
According to the ENC framework, seeding for the main event will include 20 invitee teams based on the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) Championship Points. Among the remaining 20 teams, 18 will be selected from regional qualifiers, and two will get wildcard slots. Interestingly, ENC has announced that each team can have only two players from the ALGS Year 6 Split 1 roster.
The regional qualifiers will run on Aug 1-2, 2026, after the national cut-offs on July 12. Both Americas will offer six slots, the region comprising Europe, the Middle East, and Africa will offer nine slots, and finally, the Asia Pacific South will provide three tickets to ENC 2026.
In another twist, ENC has outlined that Asia Pacific North will not offer any slot, and an online qualifier for South Korea and Japan will determine the rosters after they are invited through ALGS Championship Rankings.
12. VALORANT
ENC 2026’s competitive lineup has added VALORANT, featuring a $1.5M prize pool. The organizer informed that the event is scheduled on Nov 8-15, featuring 32 national teams representing their countries.
As per the ENC, the qualification system will combine 16 invitee teams, 14 qualified teams from regional qualifiers, and two wildcard entries. The invitee teams will be selected based on VALORANT National Team Rankings, following ENC-introduced national ranking system.
The regional qualifiers will run from June 26 to 28, 2026, across seven competitive regions, with every region providing two tickets to ENC 2026. Each of the Americas and Europe will be segmented into two competitive regions: North America and South America; Western Europe, and Eastern Europe. The Middle East will be merged with North Africa, whereas Southeast Asia will be combined with Oceania. Asia will be a standalone region.
Like the previously added first-person-shooter (FPS) title, Dota 2, the VALORANT ENC 2026 event will feature a best-of-one (Bo1) group stage and single-elimination playoff bracket. Playoff matches will be Bo3, except for the grand final, which is in Bo5 format.
This lineup and competition structure align with ENC’s nation-first competitive model, which prioritizes country-based representation over franchise ownership. Ralf Reichert, CEO of EWCF, presented the Esports Nations Cup as a first step toward standardizing and sustaining national esports participation across nations.
In a statement accompanying the ENC framework announcement, Reichert said that ENC aims to define “clear roles, aligned governance, and a system that works for players, game partners, and fans alike,” for national representation.
