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Reports indicate that League of Legends will be participating in the Esports Nations Cup, a global competition for national teams set to take place from November 2 to November 29 in Saudi Arabia.
This tournament is part of the Esports World Cup initiative, providing nations with the opportunity to compete on a global scale similar to traditional sports events.
ENC 2026 Expected to Feature 24–32 National Teams
According to Sheep Esports, the League of Legends event at ENC 2026 will involve around 24 to 32 national teams. This aligns with the formats announced for other games like Counter-Strike 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Rainbow Six Siege.
Half of the nations participating will be directly invited based on players’ performance throughout the year and their rankings on the global leaderboard. The final rankings will be determined by the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) in the summer of 2026, just before the continental qualification tournaments commence.
The remaining slots will be filled through continental qualifiers and wildcard entries. The format for the League of Legends qualifiers has not been confirmed by the EWCF yet, but it is expected to follow similar patterns to other titles.
Three-Player-Per-Club Rule Prevents Roster Stacking
Regulations from the Esports World Cup Foundation state that no nation can send more than three players from the same club to Saudi Arabia. For example, South Korea cannot have a full team from T1, and European countries are limited to three players from any single organization.
Each nation can have two substitute players, and the three-player club rule applies to them as well.
This regulation will be enforced between three and six months before the qualifiers begin. Players must have held the nationality of the country they represent for at least a year before the roster lock on April 30 at 11:59 PM AST. Coaches must be selected by March 29, 2026.
Format Differs From Asian Games and Overwatch World Cup
The three-player restriction resembles the initial plan for the Rainbow Six World Cup, which never materialized and would have limited teams to two players per organization.
However, this rule contrasts with other national events. For instance, the Overwatch World Cup relies on community voting to select players without club restrictions. In the 2023 Asian Games, League of Legends teams had no player limitations, allowing powerful national teams like South Korea to have a mix of players from different organizations.
Regions like China and South Korea are expected to field strong teams from their respective leagues, such as the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) and League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK).
Europe presents an intriguing scenario with established national leagues. Countries like France and Spain could assemble competitive teams, while smaller nations might need to qualify through continental competitions.
While it’s uncertain if League of Legends will dominate in its home turf anytime soon, the Esports Nations Cup promises an exciting showcase of international talent.