Although national rosters for the
Esports Nations Cup were expected to be finalized on May 10, participating teams are currently undergoing validation by the tournament organizer. In that context, Serbia has now confirmed its
VALORANT roster for the inaugural edition of the competition, according to information obtained by
Sheep Esports. Built around head coach Pavle "
pakko" Kostić, who was
recently removed from Gentle Mates, Serbia still managed to secure several established names from the competitive scene.
Unsurprisingly, Mateja "
qpert" Mijović, currently playing for PCIFIC Esports, will be part of the lineup. He is undoubtedly the most experienced player on the Serbian roster, having previously worked both as a player and staff member across VCT Americas and EMEA. The second well-known name in the squad is Dragan "
elllement" Milanović, a veteran player who has been active since nearly the beginning of
VALORANT and has mostly competed in the European Tier 2 scene, representing organizations such as OG Esports, CGN, and, more recently, Pixel Lumina since the start of 2026.
Also active in Challengers NORTH//EAST, Ognjen "GSR" Bondžić and Ivan "Prti" Erak currently compete together under Team Liquid Academy and are expected to represent Serbia side by side, while GSR while most likely be a substitute. Also, pakko selected Andrej "Thander" Živanović, who previously played for UCAM in VCL Spain and later competed in VCT NE this year with Bitfix Gaming. Elmas “deyten” Dzudzevic, a player for RIZON in the VCL DACH, is also expected to be the last name of the active roster.
Esports Nations Cup 2026 in details
Set to run from November 2 to 29 in Riyadh, the inaugural ENC aims to become the largest nation-based event in esports history, featuring nearly 16 titles and around 100 participating countries. Alongside VALORANT from November 8 to 15, the competition will also include Counter-Strike, Rocket League and Rainbow Six Siege, with 32 national teams expected in Riot Games’ FPS.
Half of the VALORANT slots will be awarded directly based on players’ results in Riot Games’ official circuits, while the remaining 14 teams will qualify through seven regional qualifiers. The final two spots are expected to be handed out as organizer wildcards by the Esports Foundation.
