Esports Nations Cup 2026 restricts participation of Russia and Belarus national teams

The organizing committee of Esports Nations Cup 2026 has published the official list of countries and dependent territories eligible to participate. The list includes more than two hundred participants, including national teams and players.

The status of Russia and Belarus was addressed separately. Both countries are allowed to participate without the right to use national symbols, including the flag, coat of arms, anthem and other cultural elements.

For Russian and Belarusian players, only individual participation in 1v1 disciplines is permitted. Participation of national teams from Russia and Belarus in ENC 2026 is not предусмотрено.

Esports Nations Cup 2026 will take place in November 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. National teams from all major regions of the world will compete in sixteen esports titles, featuring both team-based and individual tournaments. Among the key announced are Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2 and League of Legends.

The organizers also revealed the main rules regarding participant selection and tournament format:

• no full club rosters
• only one team or two players per nation in each discipline
• up to 48 national teams in team-based disciplines
• up to 128 players in individual disciplines
• a minimum of three matches for each nation at the tournament
• 55% of participants will receive direct invitations, while the rest will qualify through qualifiers.

Previously, a similar event was Esports World Cup 2025, which was also held in Saudi Arabia. Team Spirit won the Dota 2 tournament, earning $1,000,000 in prize.

Earlier, Cyberscore reported that the Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF) announced championships in Dota 2 and CS 2.