Esports Nations Cup postponed to November 2027

The Esports Foundation has postponed the inaugural Esports Nations Cup from November 2026 to November 2027, citing uncertainty around the wider regional situation.

The event was scheduled to run in Riyadh from November 2 to 29, bringing together national teams from more than 100 countries and territories across 16 esports titles. The Foundation said the decision followed an assessment of the regional situation and consultations with key stakeholders.

“The decision to postpone the Esports Nations Cup was not taken lightly,” Esports Foundation CEO Ralf Reichert said. He added that the Foundation wanted the first edition to be held “under the right conditions” and at the level originally intended for the competition.

The Foundation stressed that the postponement does not affect its plans to develop national esports programs around the ENC. Existing commitments under the ENC Development Fund will remain in place, while work with National Team Partners, game publishers and other stakeholders will continue ahead of the new 2027 schedule.

The ENC was built as a recurring national-team competition intended to sit alongside the club-focused Esports World Cup. The inaugural edition had been positioned as a major addition to the international esports calendar, with players competing under national flags rather than for their regular organizations. More than 100 countries and territories had already secured National Team Partner status before the postponement.

The Foundation had also already begun the competitive process for the 2026 event. More than 100,000 players were expected to take part in qualification events across 100 markets, while more than 700 coaches had been appointed to national teams.

The 2026 lineup was set to include games such as League of Legends, VALORANT, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, PUBG Mobile, Street Fighter 6 and EA Sports FC, among 16 total titles.

EF said it will work with National Team Partners and publishers in the coming weeks to determine the implications of the new schedule, including the competition calendar and qualification pathways.

The Foundation also maintained that Saudi Arabia remains capable of hosting major international events, with the postponement instead tied to the uncertainty surrounding the broader regional situation.

The ENC is now scheduled to make its debut in Riyadh in November 2027.