2 months ago
The Esports Foundation has unveiled nan organizations and individuals awarded National Team Partner position for nan inaugural Esports Nations Cup, which is owed to return spot successful nan Saudi superior of Riyadh from November 2 to 29, 2026.
The caller multi-game title expands connected nan existing Esports World Cup (EWC) format to bring a nations-based magnitude nether which participants will correspond countries alternatively than clubs.
These nations-based teams will spell head-to-head successful a twelve video games including Apex Legends, Chess, League of Legends, Dota 2, Valorant and Rockets League.
It marks nan first clip a awesome esports tourney has introduced a system world strategy for nationalist teams astatine scale. Chosen from 630 applications, nan awardees span organizations and individuals representing much than 100 countries.
The selected National Team Partners run done a scope of structures. There is nan recently formed USA Esports arsenic good arsenic established nationalist bodies specified arsenic nan Korea Esports Association, Saudi Esports Federation and British Esports; to club-led coalitions successful Brazil and hybrid public-private alliances successful countries specified arsenic Germany, Canada and nan UAE.
In markets specified arsenic Malaysia, Turkey, and Thailand, partners see federations moving intimately pinch grassroots communities, while successful emerging regions for illustration Indonesia and Mongolia, partners are being supported done system improvement to correspond their nations connected a world stage.
“The Esports Nations Cup introduces thing esports has ne'er had before: a world strategy for nationalist teams astatine an unprecedented scale,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of nan Esports Foundation.
“The consequence we received from crossed nan world shows that communities are fresh for this adjacent step. Together pinch our partners, we are building nan structures that will let players to correspond their nations and compete connected nan biggest shape successful esports. With much than 100 nations now portion of nan system, nan Esports Nations Cup moves from conception to reality — establishing nationalist esports arsenic a lasting portion of nan world competitory landscape.”
Following its motorboat successful Riyadh successful November, nan yearly Esports Nations Cup tally connected biennal ground and alteration location connected a rotating metropolis model.
The Esports Foundation emphasized that nan caller tourney has been designed to complement existing club-based frameworks alternatively than switch them, arsenic good arsenic supply a unchangeable building for players and semipermanent finance successful nationalist squad programs.
The ongoing improvement of nan Esports Nations Cup follows successful nan aftermath of a determination from nan International Olympic Committee (IOC) past October to cancel a 12-year woody pinch Saudi Arabia, nether which nan state would person hosted nan body’s first awesome esport tourney successful Riyadh successful 2027.
IOC still has plans to clasp an Olympic Esports Games, successful summation to its summertime and wintertime Games, but has gone backmost to nan drafting committee connected really this will beryllium put successful motion, having tally a aviator arena successful Singapore successful 2023.
In nan meantime, Saudi Arabia is pushing connected pinch its plans to go a go a cardinal hub and subordinate successful nan world of competitory gaming, having hosted nan yearly Esports World Cup successful 2025 and 2026.
