Sources: Fayde to lead Malaysia VALORANT team at Esports Nations Cup

Hoc Wah "Fayde" Chong, head coach of Wolves Esports in VCT China, is expected to take charge of Malaysia’s VALORANT national team for the Esports Nations Cup, according to sources close to Sheep Esports. One of the breakout stories of 2025, notably with a Top 3 finish at Masters Toronto, the Chinese organization has been led since late 2024 by the Malaysian coach, who previously worked with Ninjas in Pyjamas and XLG Esports. His strong Tier 1 experience, including international stints, helps justify the Malaysian Esports Federation’s decision, acting as the country’s National Team Partner.

Fayde was selected by Amir Syafiq bin Abd Rashid, appointed by the local federation as national manager. The duo will need to align to build Malaysia’s roster, selecting five active players and two substitutes under a specific rule. To form this lineup, they will not be allowed to pick more than three players from the same club, substitutes included. Fayde will have until the end of April to finalize his selection and have it approved by the Esports Nations Cup organizers. Even if Sheep Esports is not yet aware of the selection, Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee could be a key piece of the Malaysian project, given his experience with Paper Rex and his role of In-Game Leader.

Scheduled from November 2 to 29 for its inaugural edition in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, the nation-based competition, set to be the largest in esports history, is expected to bring together thousands of players from around 100 countries, competing across nearly 16 titles. Alongside the VALORANT tournament, which will take place from November 8 to 15, national team competitions will also be held in League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Rocket League, and Rainbow Six Siege. For Riot Games’ FPS, around 32 teams, each representing a nation, will compete on site.

Before that, participants still need to be determined. The Esports Foundation, which operates the ENC and the Esports World Cup, both distinct events, has decided that 16 of the 32 teams will qualify directly for the main event based on their representatives’ results within Riot Games’ official circuits. The remaining teams will have to go through one of seven regional qualifiers, each granting two spots. The final two slots are expected to be distributed as wildcards by the ENC, likely at the discretion of the event organizer.