Esports Nations Cup has been postponed to 2027: a statement from the organizers

Yesterday

4 min.

The Esports Foundation (EF) announced that the Esports Nations Cup, originally scheduled to take place in November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to November 2027 following an ongoing assessment of the overall situation in the region and after consulting with sponsors. The announcement was published on the event’s official website.

The decision reflects EF’s commitment to delivering a world-class international competition that meets the standards and long-term ambition on which the Esports Nations Cup was founded. The postponement does not change EF’s commitment to the ENC or to the national esports ecosystems already being built around it.

Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation, stated that the decision to postpone was not taken lightly but was necessary:

The response from National Team Partners, publishers, players and communities around the world has shown us how much potential this competition has. We owe them an inaugural ENC delivered under the right conditions and at the level this idea deserves. The work continues, and our ambition for ENC remains unchanged.

The ENC organizers noted that all existing commitments of the ENC Development Fund to national team partners will remain in effect. Work on support programs continues, and the tournament schedule is being revised to present a new competition calendar, qualification paths, and to account for other implications of the new schedule.

The Esports Nations Cup 2026 will feature competitions in 16 esports disciplines. More than 100 national teams will compete for a total prize pool of $20,000,000.

In the Dota 2 national competition, 32 teams will compete for $1,500,000. In addition to the 16 teams that received direct invitations, another 14 teams will qualify through regional qualifiers, and the final 2 spots will be allocated via wildcards.

As CyberScore previously reported, a star-studded coaching staff for the Esports Nations Cup Dota 2 tournament has been announced.