EWCF launches Esports Nations Cup in Saudi Arabia for 2026, but key questions remain

The EWCF, the Saudi foundation behind the Esports World Cup, announced the creation of the Esports Nations Cup on Sunday, Aug 23. Scheduled for November 2026 in Saudi Arabia, the competition aims to bring together nearly one hundred national teams across 15 different games, according to information shared by attendees at the announcement event in Riyadh.

Riot Games, publisher of League of Legends, VALORANT, and 2XKO, was not mentioned in the official press release or in public communications. In contrast, other major publishers like Krafton (PUBG), Tencent, Electronic Arts (EA Sports FC, Apex Legends), and Ubisoft (Rainbow Six, Trackmania) were referred to explicitly.

Riot’s absence raises questions — Tencent, who own Riot games outright, was mentioned in the announcement without any mention of the League of Legends publisher. Oddly, Riot's lucrative partnership with the EWC, announced in early 2025, guaranteed both the MOBA and the FPS would remain part of the Esports World Cup until at least 2027. Their apparent exclusion from this announcement is notable.

The ENC therefore appears to be a completely separate project from the EWC. Importantly, the tournament will take place every two years and rotate between different host countries, with Saudi Arabia hosting the inaugural edition in November 2026, at what seems to be one of the rare quieter moments in the global esports calendar.

It is hard not to see the shadow of the Olympic Games looming over this announcement — the parallels are immediately clear. In 2027, the first edition of the Olympics Esports Games will take place in Saudi Arabia, being launched in partnership with the Gulf nation. While the format and selection of titles are expected to differ, it's difficult not to interpret the ENC as a rehearsal for Saudi Arabia’s wider ambitions in international esports.

Saudi Arabia is also setting itself apart in another key area: prize money. Whereas the Olympics do not provide direct financial rewards to athletes, the ENC promises guaranteed payouts for all players. The announcement specified that every participant will receive a minimum prize pool share, with fair distribution depending on final placement, regardless of the game.

The approach, meant to help emphasize diversity of talent, will also attract a broad competitive player base, the prize money could attract many who would otherwise skip a new event outside their official circuit.

From a competitive standpoint, the ENC aims to balance high-level competition with inclusivity, giving visibility to smaller nations often overlooked in international esports. National teams will be determined through a layered qualification system, combining global rankings, regional tournaments, and wildcard invitations, with some wildcards reserved for emerging countries to ensure the broadest possible representation. The event will feature both team and solo competitions, with roughly one hundred nations expected to compete across around 15 titles.

While the press release emphasizes geographic inclusivity and the representation of all regions of the world, it remains silent on another major issue: the role of women in the competition. The EWCF press release had no dedicated format for women, no guarantee of female representation, and no mention of mixed teams.

This omission is striking, especially given that several initiatives already exist within the industry. For instance, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang had a women’s tournament at the Esports World Cup in both 2024 and 2025, and publishers like Riot Games have introduced dedicated women’s leagues across multiple titles. The absence of such a framework within the ENC raises questions about whether the event can truly claim to effectively represent the diversity of the global esports community.

The lack of clarity becomes even more significant considering the inaugural event will be held in Saudi Arabia, a country where women’s and LGBT rights remain heavily restricted. Although the kingdom's efforts to appear inclusive have multiplied in recent years, particularly in sports and entertainment, legal and social discrimination persists. For many observers, hosting major international tournaments in this context appears less about inclusivity and more about sportwashing — a strategy aimed at polishing the country’s global image while steering clear of its most sensitive debates.

Despite the hype surrounding a nation-versus-nation tournament, the announcement leaves behind more uncertainties. Chief among them is the glaring absence of Riot Games and VALVe. A project of this scale that does not include Counter-Strike, Dota 2, League of Legends, VALORANT, or even the upcoming 2XKO risks losing much of its appeal, especially in Western markets. Moonton was also notably absent, leaving out MLBB, the second most-watched esports title in the world after Riot’s MOBA, and ahead of many of the other games listed.

Adding to the questions surrounding League of Legends, the title is already confirmed for the 2026 Asian Games, which will take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. This remains a major milestone for most Asian players, as the Asian Games are still the only international stage where they can officially represent their national colors.

Complicating matters further, the League of Legends World Championship in 2026 is set to be held in North America shortly afterward, with only three to five weeks separating it from the Asian Games, likely stretching across late October into November. Given the proximity of these two massive events, it is hard to imagine players having the time, energy, or competitive focus to also commit to another international tournament in the same window.

Ultimately, the decision rests with Riot Games, the publisher, which will have the final say on whether its flagship MOBA could realistically feature in the Esports Nations Cup alongside these already packed commitments.

It is also worth noting that for Counter-Strike 2, there will be two major Tier 1 events in November: IEM China (Nov 2‑8) and, most notably, the second 2026 Major, scheduled from November 25 to December 13 according to HLTV.org. The timing of these two competitions may prevent the world’s top organizations from freeing their players to participate in the ENC.

Another major concern raised by the public, particularly on X in the wake of the announcement, revolves around national selections. Even the Olympic Games struggle to attract established national federations to their esports project. How will Saudi Arabia manage this challenge? The answer may lie in a development that largely went unnoticed by the wider audience at the end of 2023. Outside of major discussions about esports and the major tournaments organized by ESL or BLAST, two “international esports federations” have been quietly competing for global governance of the scene.

Amid politics, behind-the-scenes maneuvering, and even corruption investigations, several more or less influential organizations have been fighting for control. Two of them, the IESF (International Esports Federation) and the GEF (Global Esports Federation), officially joined forces in late 2023 during a summit in Saudi Arabia. This new entity, the Esports Leadership Group (ELG), brings together figures such as IOC vice-president Ser Miang Ng, the new IESF President Saudi prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, and Chris Chan, president of the GEF. According to its mission, the group was created to “coordinate the initiatives of both federations and prepare esports for broader international recognition.”

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud is particularly relevant here, not only because he is a close ally of Mohammed bin Salman, but also because he has chaired the Saudi Esports Federation and the Arab Esports Federation since 2017, in addition to his new positions with the IESF and GEF. It seems likely that through these connections, the Esports World Cup Foundation could lean on long-term partners when deciding how national team selectors will be appointed.

The IESF, for example, claims more than 151 affiliated federations on its website, ranging from Morocco to Trinidad and Tobago, Guam, Turkey, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and bigger countries. This network of associations and members, already used for IESF’s own tournaments, could in theory be activated for this new project. However, such a system would remain controversial, as the federation carries little real weight in the global esports' scene. Most of its so-called federations have limited resources, minimal influence, and little to no connection with the top players in their respective countries.