KeSPA and Esports Foundation reached an agreement for ENC 2026 after days of tensions threatened South Korea’s participation

The Esports Foundation (EF) has announced that it has reached a new agreement with the Korea eSports Association (KeSPA), confirming that South Korea will officially participate in the Esports Nations Cup (ENC). The statement was shared publicly on May 9th following weeks of public tensions between the two parties after alleged attempts at tampering with the players’ selections.

In its statement, also shared with Sheep Esports, EF explained that both organizations had “agreed to a continued partnership and a joint path forward” based on “shared vision,” and alignment regarding the national team structure. The organizer also confirmed that KeSPA will lead Korea’s national team selection process moving forward.

“Korea’s national coaches and players will continue to be selected with professional integrity,” the statement read, adding that participants will compete under the official “Team Korea of Esports” banner.

The confirmation appears to resolve the main point of contention raised during the dispute reported in late April. At the time, South Korean outlet Sports Seoul reported that KeSPA had strongly opposed alleged attempts by EF to influence roster selection for certain game titles.

The situation escalated further after a representative of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) added that only teams selected through official member organizations could legally compete under the “Team Korea” identity and national flag. Considering the importance of official recognition in South Korea’s sports structure, KSOC’s intervention may ultimately have carried significant weight in the private discussions that followed between EF and KeSPA.

The controversy first emerged at the end of April, when reports indicated that KeSPA was considering withdrawing entirely from the upcoming ENC. Despite initially being announced as South Korea’s official National Team Partner, the association allegedly rejected aspects of EF’s approach to roster construction.

According to an article by Sports Seoul, KeSPA objected to what it viewed as external interference in player selection. Anonymous industry sources cited in the report criticized the alleged specific player requests from EF, arguing that every nation should independently manage its own qualification and selection procedures.

The dispute escalated further when EF publicly stated it would continue discussions directly with Korean players, coaches, and ecosystem stakeholders even without KeSPA’s cooperation. However, that strategy immediately backfired after a KSOC member clarified that any roster assembled outside the official federation structure could not compete under the South Korean banner.

Beyond this dispute itself, the ENC has already faced scrutiny due to its connections with Saudi Arabia’s broader esports investments. The tournament is part of a rapidly expanding ecosystem backed by Saudi public funding which is often tied to accusations of “sportswashing” — the country’s attempt to improve its global image through sport and esports events.

For now the immediate conflict between KeSPA and the Esports Foundation appears resolved. With South Korea officially back on board under KeSPA’s supervision, attention will now shift toward how Team Korea’s rosters are assembled ahead of ENC 2026.