Esports Nations Cup Unveils Dota 2 Circuit Details

The Esports Nations Cup (ENC) has revealed the full competitive circuit for its Dota 2 tournament, formally adding Valve’s flagship MOBA as the third confirmed title for ENC 2026’s multi-title lineup. According to the press release from Jan 28, 2026, the Dota 2 ENC event will also feature a National Ranking System and 32 teams.

According to ENC, the tournament is scheduled to run from Nov 2 to Nov 8, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The tournament will feature a group stage, consisting of four groups of eight teams, and a single-elimination playoff bracket, before culminating in a grand final.

To balance competitive integrity, the group stage will feature best-of-one (Bo1) round-robin matches before transitioning into best-of-three (Bo3) playoffs, featuring 16 selected teams. According to the organizer, “teams must balance disciplined macro play with decisive engagements” during the playoff matches to ensure their progression into the finals. Finally, the Dota 2 grand finals will host high-intensity best-of-five (Bo5) matches.

While the ENC has not disclosed a Dota 2-specific prize pool breakdown, the event is positioned as a high-stakes international competition that expands the game’s competitive ecosystem beyond publisher-run circuits.

Dota 2 National Team Ranking and Qualification Pathways to ENC 2026

ENC has confirmed that 16 of the 32 slots will be allocated through a newly introduced Dota 2 National Team Ranking System, which aggregates results from major international and regional Tier 1 tournaments. Rankings will be calculated based on performance records starting from June 8, 2025, to June 7, 2026, providing a data-driven pathway for consistent national squads.

Aligning with the ENC-introduced ranking system for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), the Dota 2 ranking system will also award points to each Dota 2 team based on their placements in Tier 1 competitions, with points distributed equally among team members.

The remaining 14 teams will qualify through regional online qualifiers across eight competitive regions. European regions are segmented into two different regions, Western Europe and Eastern Europe, each feeding into ENC 2026 with two teams. Both Americas combined will facilitate three national teams through ENC Qualifiers.

The combined Asian, African, and Oceanian regions are segmented into four more regions:  East and South Asia (two slots), Southeast Asia and Oceania (two slots), Central and South Africa (one slot), along with the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia (two slots). The regional qualifiers are scheduled for June 16 - July 5, 2026, featuring double-elimination brackets.

Two additional places will be reserved as wildcard entries, allowing organizers flexibility to include emerging regions or high-performing teams. ENC’s hybrid model combining national rankings, open qualifiers, and wildcards is likely to reduce reliance on invitations while maintaining global representation.

ENC’s official statement underscored that despite having a long competitive history led by European teams, “the Nations Cup opens the door for fresh storylines as newer national lineups look to make their breakthrough.”