Esports foundation introduces country-based tournament
The Esports World Cup Foundation has introduced the Esports Nations Cup (ENC), a new global tournament where top esports players compete while representing their countries. Unlike club-based events, this format brings national teams into the spotlight, adding an international sports-like structure to competitive gaming.
Vision behind another esports tournament
The ENC adopts a familiar format from traditional sports, country versus country. This approach aims to deepen fan engagement by connecting competition with national identity.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, views the Esports Nations Cup as a means to bring national representation into esports. The goal is to give players a chance to compete for their country, build stronger esports communities, and encourage younger generations to take an interest in esports.
Reichert stated, “Nation versus nation competition is the ultimate expression of sport. The ENC makes this a reality for esports, giving every fan a flag to rally behind and every player the pride of representing their country. It’s a stage to create heroes, inspire the next generation, and, together with our partners and stakeholders, build the national ecosystems that will accelerate the growth of esports worldwide.”
It’s not just about glory, it’s about the national pride.
— Esports Nations Cup (@ENC_EN) August 23, 2025
The rise of a new rivalry.
Esports Nations Cup
Riyadh, November 2026 pic.twitter.com/5tKg4JhltA
Key Features of the ENC
Global reach: ENC will include national teams from all major regions like Asia, North America, Europe, Africa, and more, ensuring truly global competition.
Variety of games: The tournament will feature a mix of team-based and solo-player formats across top-tier esports titles, catering to diverse fan bases.
Industry collaboration: The EWCF has established partnerships with prominent companies such as Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Tencent, and Krafton. These industry leaders will collaborate to develop ranking systems and qualification pathways for each title, ensuring competitive integrity.
The qualification structure
ENC will use a worldwide ranking system to choose players for the Esports Nations Cup, with regional qualifying and wildcard admissions to guarantee greater participation. Fairness will be ensured throughout the competition by using a consistent prize structure for all games and offering awards for positions.
How the ENC will change esports landscape?
The first ENC will take place in November 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After that, the event will rotate between different countries, allowing various regions to host and participate in the tournament.
The ENC will be held every two years, giving teams a consistent timeline to prepare and compete. National esports bodies can plan training, coaching, and infrastructure more effectively. The regular schedule also helps sponsors and partners plan their involvement with more certainty.
This tournament will shift focus from club-based teams to national representation, encouraging broader public interest. It also helps players from less-established regions gain visibility and support. The format could motivate younger players to pursue esports as a means of representing their country.
Team Falcons retained their title
Team Falcons retained their title at the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, earning a prize of $7 million. They participated in the most events across the seven-week tournament, winning Overwatch 2 and securing multiple top-three finishes. Falcons ended with 5,200 points, ahead of Team Liquid (4,200) and Team Vitality (4,050). Twisted Minds and Virtus.pro tied for fifth with 3,200 points each.
The EWC 2025 achievements
Over 2,000 players representing 200 clubs in 25 tournaments from 100 nations participated in the event. The top 24 clubs in the championship standings received $27 million of the over $70 million total prize pool. Teams’ performance in each tournament determined how many points and money they received.
Apex Legends, Call of Duty, Dota 2, League of Legends, Valorant, and other games were among them. The tournament attracted 350 million hours of viewing, with 750 million viewers altogether, reaching a peak of 7.98 million during Gen.G’s League of Legends victory.
