The first Esports Nations Cup will not take place this year as planned, as the Esports Foundation has pushed its new tournament to 2027. The reason cites uncertainty around the wider regional situation in the Middle East.
The inaugural event was set for Riyadh in November 2026. Organizers say they’ll use the extra time to give all national teams, game publishers, partners, fans, and everyone else involved more certainty around the event.
ENC moves to November 2027
The Esports Foundation announced the event’s postponement on Aug. 18, 2026. The Esports Nations Cup is going to be a competition where players represent their countries and territories in different esports titles rather than their usual esports organizations.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation, said postponing the event was not an easy choice, but argued the ENC needs to launch under the right conditions.
“The response from National Team Partners, publishers, players and communities around the world has shown us how much potential this competition has,” Reichert said. “We owe them an inaugural ENC delivered under the right conditions and at the level this idea deserves.”
The inaugural Esports Nations Cup is postponed to November 2027.
— Esports Nations Cup (@ENC_EN) August 18, 2026
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EF made this decision because an event involving that many national partners needs stable conditions and a clear runway. The org stressed that Saudi Arabia can still host major events, and that sporting and entertainment programming continues in the country. But an event that involves teams and stakeholders from around the world, waiting is the safer call according to them.
All existing Esports Nations Cup Development Fund commitments to National Team Partners will remain active. The org also said related development programs will continue to shift toward the 2027 debut.
Players and teams could use this extra time in the meantime to sort eligibility rules, scouting, coaching staffs, local federations, and publisher agreements. At the same time, it also means a longer wait for clarity on which games will ultimately be played and how teams will qualify.
Esports Foundation didn’t announce an exact date for the event starting in November 2027, nor did they announce anything about a revised qualification system yet. We can expect more information about the new competition to be announced in the coming days.
