A new Esports tournament will take the competition global and see nations duke it out electronically for video game supremacy.
Deadline reports the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) is launching the Esports Nations Cup (ENC), a new tournament that will see esports champions from across the globe represent their teams and home nations.
According to the website, the tournament will mark the first time esports players compete on a global scale, and it has some pretty prominent backers in large video game publishers.
Per Deadline:
The inaugural edition will take place in November 2026 in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, and feature national teams from all major regions, including North America, South America, Europe, MENA, Africa, Asia, and SEA & Oceania, competing in both team-based and solo-player formats.
The inaugural edition will be co-developed with the publishers and video game companies Electronic Arts, Krafton, Tencent, and Ubisoft.
“Nation versus nation competition is the ultimate expression of sport,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.
The ECWF claims it will use a multi-layered qualification model to help ensure a balance of competitiveness and inclusivity is met that Deadline reports will be “combining global rankings, regional qualifiers, and Wildcard entries, including solidarity placements, to ensure a broad and representative competitive stage in every game.”
The Esports Nations Cup Brings Esports To A Global Level
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, spoke about the new competition, adding, “Nation versus nation competition is the ultimate expression of sport.”
“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 Esports Nations Cup will be held every two years to maintain a structure for the players, coaches, and esports organizations involved while boosting confidence to ensure publishers, clubs, and partners are willing to keep investing.
Sound lit, we can’t wait to see what games they will be competing in.
