EWCF Commits $45M Fund to Esports Nations Cup 2026

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) confirmed a $45 million USD funding commitment for the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026, outlining a three-part funding structure aimed at players, coaches, and national team programs. The official announcement, circulated on Jan 29, 2026, also stated that the biennial, nation-based global tournament will be scheduled for Nov 2-29, 2026, in Riyadh.

Under the plan, EWCF will allocate a total sum of $20M as prize money paid directly to players and coaches across all 16 titles of ENC 2026. A further $5M is earmarked for club incentives, rewarding esports organizations that make their contracted talent available for national team competition; the incentive amount will be tied to the “performance of their players at the event.”

The remaining $20M, as previously announced, will fund the ENC Development Fund, designed to support Official National Team Partners with logistics, travel, training, and promotional activities.

EWCF CEO Ralf Reichert framed the initiative as foundational to the maturation of competitive gaming’s ecosystem, stating that national teams bring “a powerful new layer to esports, one that is accessible, intuitive, and rooted in identity and pride.” He positioned the prize model and funding framework as “fair and sustainable,” intended to reward performance while supporting player, club, and national representation.

EWCF’s Placement-Based Prize Framework Sets Esports Nations Cup 2026 Apart

The ENC introduces a placement-based prize framework that applies uniformly across all 16 titles. Unlike many existing esports events where prize money is allocated based on brackets, viewership, or game type, this model guarantees payouts at every stage, for every qualified player.

Additionally, every qualified participant is guaranteed a minimum of three matches, and coaches are financially recognized alongside players for team results. A first-place finish awards $50K per player, while scaling down as it moves towards lower brackets. Each Runner-Up receives $30K, and every third place holder, a sum of $15K.

ENC has also structured prizes for prior stages leading to the final. During the quarter-final, every attending player will get $7,250, with each player in the Round of 16 receiving a sum of $6K. The payout remains the same across disciplines, except for the Round of 32 (Top 17-32), which will generally award $5K, but will be “adjusted slightly for titles with 24-slot formats.”

The Esports Nations Cup prize pool ensures that every player in the same finishing position across all games receives the same amount of prize money. ECFW also stressed that “payouts scale with the roster size” for team-based titles.

This prize structure is distinguished from many franchise-league or publisher-run events, where lower-placing teams generally observe minimal compensation or no prize money in cases. The Esports Nations Cup 2026 uniform payout approach reflects a push toward equitable compensation across disciplines and formats, complementing EWCF’s club-focused Esports World Cup structure.

The Esports Nations Cup is shaping up as a landmark in the global competitive gaming landscape with its $45M fund. The event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will feature 16 titles for the 2026 edition; Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), Trackmania, and Dota 2 are already confirmed, with more expected to be announced soon.

At the same time, National Team Partner Applications remain open until Jan 31, offering country representatives the chance to formalize team selection, governance, and operations ahead of the November tournament.