The Esports Foundation has announced the full competition lineup for the Esports Nations Cup 2026, a global national-team esports tournament set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event will run from November 2 to 29 and will feature 16 titles across console, PC, mobile, and fighting game genres.
The tournament is designed to bring together players representing their countries or regions, with more than 100 countries and territories expected to host hundreds of qualifying events throughout the year. Organizers said the qualification process could involve more than 100,000 players, making the ENC one of the largest national-team esports programs ever planned.
16 Games Confirmed for the Event
The lineup reflects a wide range of competitive scenes, from team shooters and battle royale titles to strategy, sports, and fighting games. The confirmed games are:
- Apex Legends
- Chess
- Counter-Strike 2
- Dota 2
- EA SPORTS FC
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Honor of Kings
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- PUBG: Battlegrounds
- PUBG MOBILE
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Rocket League
- Street Fighter 6
- Trackmania
- VALORANT
The inclusion of Street Fighter 6 and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves has drawn particular attention in Japan. Both titles have strong ties to the country’s fighting game community, and their presence could give Japanese players a better path to national representation on a major international stage.
A Tournament Built Around National Identity
Esports Foundation Chief Games Officer Fabian Scheuermann said the lineup was not chosen only for popularity. He explained that the goal was to reach as many regions and communities as possible, while creating a tournament that feels open and globally representative.
“Each title has its own impact across different regions and player bases,” Scheuermann said. “By bringing them together on one stage, ENC becomes a truly open competition.”
The ENC is positioned as a structured addition to the global esports calendar, with national teams expected to build lineups, training systems, and regional pathways over time. The format aims to strengthen local ecosystems while giving players a chance to compete for their countries in a major international setting.
Prize Pool and Distribution
The event is backed by $45 million in total funding. Of that amount, $20 million will be distributed as prize money across the 16 titles for players and coaches.
The prize structure is the same across all games. First place receives $50,000 per person, second place gets $30,000, and third place earns $15,000. Organizers also said the same placement will receive the same payout for both players and coaches.
Why Japan Is Watching Closely
Japan’s interest in the ENC is expected to be high because of the country’s deep competitive history in fighting games and its growing role in global esports. Street Fighter 6 is already one of the most watched fighting games in the region, while Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves adds another familiar name with strong legacy appeal.
That combination could make the national-team format especially meaningful for Japanese fans, who may follow domestic qualifiers closely as players compete for a place on the main stage in Riyadh. The event could also expand attention beyond fighting games, since Japan has competitive talent across titles such as VALORANT, League of Legends, and Apex Legends.
Part of a Bigger Esports Plan in Saudi Arabia
The Esports Foundation, based in Riyadh, is a nonprofit group that says its mission is to support the development and professionalization of the global esports industry. It also runs the annual Esports World Cup and views the Esports Nations Cup as a recurring event that can help build sustainable competition pathways for players and teams.
The foundation said the ENC will be managed by Esports Foundation itself. It also noted that Electronic Arts is not the organizer or operator of the event, even though EA titles such as Apex Legends and EA SPORTS FC are part of the lineup.
For EA-related titles, national-team selection will be determined through EA-run qualifiers or invitations, according to the foundation. That distinction means country representation in those games will follow a separate process from the ENC’s wider national-team structure.
With its broad game lineup, national representation format, and large-scale qualifiers, the Esports Nations Cup 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious attempts yet to build a true world esports championship around country pride and cross-genre competition.
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