Esports Nations Cup 2026 to feature VALORANT

by Juandi February 23, 2026

VALORANT is set to have a national competition in the 2026 season under the Esports Nations Cup.

SAUDI ARABIA – VALORANT has officially been announced as one of the titles for the Esports Nations Cup 2026. The national-team tournament hosted by the Esports World Cup Foundation will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 8-15, with 32 countries set to compete.

ENC VALORANT will take place at the end of the season, following VALORANT Champions Shanghai, which is scheduled for September and October.

As the tournament name suggests, teams will represent countries rather than organizations. Of the 32 participating teams, 16 will receive direct invitations through the VALORANT National Team Rankings.

(Photo courtesy of ENC)

Based on the announcement, these rankings will factor in results from regional and international VCT events, with points distributed equally among all club teammates who took part. A country’s final ranking will then be determined by combining the points of the top five players on its submitted national roster.

The remaining 14 teams will qualify through regional qualifiers: Asia (2), EU East (2), EU West (2), Middle East & North Africa (2), North America (2), South America (2), and Southeast Asia & Oceania (2). The final two spots will be allocated through Wildcard slots. A total prize pool of US$1,500,000 will be split among all 32 national teams as they compete to become the inaugural champions.

The tournament format will begin with a group stage consisting of four groups of eight teams, played in a round-robin best-of-one format. The top four teams from each group will advance to a single-elimination playoff bracket, where all matches will be best-of-three.

(Photo courtesy of ENC)

Alongside VALORANT, other announced titles include Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Honor of Kings, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Apex Legends, Rocket League, and more.

It is still unclear who will oversee each nation, as the National Team Partners application period has already closed and the selected partners are expected to be announced soon. National roster selection, meanwhile, will be handled by each team’s coach and National Team Manager.

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