The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) revealed on Friday that Valorant, Riot Games’ team-based hero-shooter, has been added to the lineup of competitive titles for the Esports Nations Cup 2026. The event is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November.
Valorant will be joining other previously announced titles for ENC this year, including Apex Legends, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Rainbow Six Siege, EA Sports FC 26, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Chess, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Trackmania, and Honor Kings. A total of 16 titles will be featured in the nation vs. nation competition, with five more titles yet to be revealed.
The Valorant tournament is set to kick off on Nov. 8 and will wrap up with the playoff final on Nov. 15. The competition’s initial phase will see 32 teams participating in a round-robin group stage, with four groups consisting of eight teams each. The top four teams from each group will progress to a 16-team single-elimination playoff bracket. Group stage matches will follow a best-of-one format, while playoff matches (excluding the grand final) will be best-of-three. The grand final will be a best-of-five showdown.
16 teams will receive direct invitations based on the newly established “Valorant National Team Rankings,” while 14 teams will have the opportunity to qualify through regional online qualifiers, and two teams will secure spots through Wildcard slots.
The Valorant National Team Rankings will factor in performances from both regional and international Valorant Champions Tour competitions, with points evenly distributed among all Club teammates who participate. The national ranking will then consider the points accumulated by the top five players on the submitted national roster. The cut-off date for the national ranking is June 21.
ENC regional qualifiers are scheduled to take place from June 26 to 28, hosting double-elimination brackets in the following regions:
- North America (2 slots)
- South America (2)
- Western Europe (2)
- Eastern Europe (2)
- Middle East + North Africa (2)
- Asia (2)
- Southeast Asia + Oceania (2)
The ENC is slated to run from Nov. 2 to 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event is being organized by the EWCF, funded by a “sports grant” from the Saudi Arabian government’s sovereign wealth fund, the PIF.
Projects supported by the Saudi government have faced accusations of “sports washing,” using sports events to divert attention from issues such as human rights violations, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, treatment of journalists, military actions in Yemen, and more. These concerns have been highlighted by international watchdog organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.