The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has revealed that Rocket League, developed by Epic Games, will be featured as a competitive title at the first-ever Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this November.
Alongside Rocket League, other confirmed titles for ENC include League of Legends, Valorant, Apex Legends, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Rainbow Six Siege, EA Sports FC 26, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Chess, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Trackmania, and Honor of Kings. A total of 16 games will be part of this nation vs. nation tournament, with three more titles yet to be announced.
In its announcement, EWCF stated that 48 national teams will compete in 3v3 matches on PC for a chance to win a share of the $1,320,000 USD prize pool.
The Rocket League Esports Nations Cup will run from Nov. 2 to 8, starting with a group stage featuring eight groups of six teams. Teams will play in a round-robin format with best-of-five matches. The top 16 teams will advance to a single-elimination playoff bracket, where each series will be a best-of-seven.
Teams can qualify for the event based on the official RLCS Ranking, with a cut-off date of May 24. Additional teams will be selected through Esports Nations Cup qualifiers, organized by EFG, using a double-elimination bracket to finalize the remaining lineups.
- 24 teams will receive direct invitations based on rankings.
- 21 teams will qualify through special qualifying competitions.
- Two teams will be chosen through wildcard slots.
The ENC is scheduled to take place from Nov. 2 to 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event is being managed by EWCF, which is supported by a “sports grant” from the Saudi Arabian government’s sovereign wealth fund, the PIF.
Projects funded by the Saudi government have faced criticism for potentially being used for “sports washing,” a tactic to divert attention from issues such as human rights violations, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, treatment of journalists, military actions in Yemen, and more. Organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have raised concerns about these issues.