Inaugural Esports Nations Cup Postponed to November 2027 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The Esports Foundation announced the postponement of the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC). Originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the flagship biennial global nationalteam esports tournament will now take place in November 2027, remaining hosted in Riyadh.

The adjustment follows an ongoing regional situation assessment and extensive consultations with key industry stakeholders. Bringing together national teams, game publishers, partners and fans from more than 100 countries and territories worldwide, the multititle competition features 16 game disciplines including VALORANT, Apex Legends, Street Fighter 6, Chess and more. Designed as a new international esports festival, ENC seeks to create athlete pathways, advance nationalteam programmes and foster national identity through competitive esports.

The Esports Foundation reaffirms that Saudi Arabia continues to serve as a safe, stable and welcoming destination for global sports and entertainment events. The organisation’s commitment to delivering the tournament and supporting national esports ecosystems remains unchanged. All commitments under the ENC Development Fund and its programmes stay fully active. Investments in nationalteam partners, publisher collaborations and local esports infrastructure will continue uninterrupted, with stakeholder coordination underway to adapt to the revised timeline.

“This decision was not taken lightly,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation. “The overwhelming positive global response demonstrates the immense potential of the Esports Nations Cup. We hold the responsibility to stage this inaugural edition under optimal conditions to meet the high expectations of players, national federations, publishers, partners and fans across the world.”

In the coming weeks, the Foundation will work with global stakeholders to publish revised timelines, qualification formats and operational details for the rescheduled competition. The core mission of elevating the global esports sector, empowering national representative teams and building pathways for athletes will be preserved throughout the transition period.