Esports Nations Cup (ENC) postponed to 2027

The Esports Foundation (EF) has announced that the ENC - Esports Nations Cup 2026 will be postponed by a year, with the event now set to take place in November 2027. The event was originally scheduled to take place in November 2026 in Riyadh, but following an assessment of the wider regional situation, EF has decided to postpone the competition.

VALORANT one of the 16 games featured

The ENC is an event focused on national competitions, with teams competing across 16 different game titles. Back in February, it was confirmed that VALORANT would be one of the games featured at the ENC, with a total of 32 teams set to compete in the title.

Instead of representing their clubs and organizations, players will compete for their countries and territories. Some rosters have already been confirmed or rumored, but the squads will now have to wait another year to compete.

Can’t guarantee stability

Following an ongoing assessment of the regional situation, EF has decided that the competition might not provide the certainty and stability that national teams, publishers, partners, and fans expect if it were hosted in 2026.

Instead, the event is being postponed by a year but is still planned to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In the press release, Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation, stated:

“The decision to postpone the Esports Nations Cup was not taken lightly. The response from National Team Partners, publishers, players and communities around the world has shown us how much potential this competition has. We owe them an inaugural ENC delivered under the right conditions and at the level this idea deserves. Hosting the tournament in Riyadh next year does not change our commitment.”

Continuing their commitment

Over the coming weeks, EF will continue to work with National Team Partners, publishers, and other stakeholders to work out the details of the event’s postponement. With teams already taking shape across all 16 game titles, EF is aiming to keep the work moving forward through 2027.

For more VALORANT news, stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG.

Featured image source: The Esports Foundation.