Esports Nations Cup 2026 brings national pride to Riyadh, November 2-2,9 with 8 confirmed games like Dota 2, CS2, and Mobile Legends, plus prize pools up to $1.5M per title.
Hey, imagine esports, but instead of team logos, you're cheering for your country's flag. That's Esports Nations Cup 2026. It's the first-ever national team tournament happening November 2-29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Esports World Cup Foundation runs it, and they've already revealed 8 of the 16 games.
This isn't club vs club anymore. Players represent their nations. Think Olympics, but for gaming. Thousands will battle in qualifiers just to make the main stage. Super exciting, right?
The Confirmed Games List at Esports Nations Cup 2026
Here's what we know so far. These 8 titles span shooters, MOBAs, fighters, racing, and even chess. Each has a huge prize pool and specific dates.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Nov 23-29)
$1,500,000 prize pool. 32 teams. 16 direct invites, 14 qualifiers, 2 wildcards. Round-robin groups, then single-elim playoffs. Mobile MOBA kings from Moonton.
Dota 2 (Nov 2-8)
Another $1.5M on the line. 32 teams. Same invite/qualifier split. Valve's MOBA beast returns. Radiant vs Dire, national style.
Counter-Strike 2 (Nov 10-15)
$1,320,000. 24 teams. Massive open qualifiers with 15,000+ players across 3,000 teams from 96 countries. Biggest CS qual ever. Tactical shooter heaven.
Honor of Kings (Nov 24-29)
$1,320,000. 24 teams. Tencent's mobile MOBA. 12 invites, 9 qualifiers, 3 wildcards. Groups to playoffs.
Chess (Nov 2-8)
$600,000. 128 players. Yes, chess! Rapid 10+0 format. 16 groups of 8 in round-robin best-of-2s. Top half to 64-player single-elim. Armageddon tiebreakers. Biggest chess esports event ever.
EA SPORTS FC (Nov 17-22)
$600,000. 128 players. Soccer sim on PS5. 1v1 matches. 16 groups of 8, then playoffs. 64 invites, 56 qualifiers, 8 wildcards.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (Nov 11-15)
$250,000. 32 players. First fighter confirmed. SNK's classic returns. 4 groups of 8 in best-of-7 round-robin. Top 16 to best-of-9 playoffs.
Trackmania (Nov 19-22)
$250,000. 32 players. Ubisoft racing madness. 1v1v1v1 Cup Mode. High-speed precision chaos.
Eight more games are coming soon to make 16 total. Expect more shooters, fighters, maybe some surprises.
Qualification Paths Explained
Every game mixes invites, qualifiers, and wildcards. CS2's 15,000-player open qual blows minds. Chess gives 128 spots, so smaller nations compete. Dota and MLBB stick to 32-team formats, fans know.
Time controls matter too. Chess uses rapid for fast action. Fighters go best-of-7/9 for fairness. Trackmania's 1v1v1v1 tests pure skill.
Well, normally, esports is org vs org. Here, it's country vs country. Your neighbor might represent India against Brazil in CS2. Pride skyrockets. Fans rally behind nations, not just pros.
ENC 2026's prize pool totals millions across games. Mobile Legends and Dota lead at $1.5M each. Even smaller titles like Trackmania hit $250K.
Qualifiers start soon. Open events let anyone try. Regional battles narrow it down. Direct invites reward top rankings. Wildcards add drama. So, mark your calendars. Who will lift gold for your country? ENC 2026 writes esports history.