VALORANT Esports Nations Cup: Schedule, All Teams

The first-ever Esports Nations Cup is hosting a VALORANT tournament, and qualifiers have now finalized almost all of its teams. Let’s explore every country’s roster, when the event will take place, and how to watch.

What is the Esports Nations Cup?

The Esports Nations Cup (ENC) is an international S-Tier tournament. Each country in the event picks a roster of players to represent it and competes in regional qualifiers. Organizers announced the event in August 2025, and 2026 is the Esports Nations Cup’s first year. The inaugural finals are scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital. The ENC will occur biannually, rotating host cities each time.

The first Esports Nations Cup will feature 16 titles across seven regions, including North America, South America, Europe, MENA, Africa, Asia, and SEA & OCE. Over 1,500 players from more than 100 nations will compete. The ENC’s country-based format shakes things up by reuniting rivals on the same rosters and bringing star players to the same team. Here’s a list of included titles:

• Rocket League
• DOTA 2
• Chess
• PUBG Mobile
• VALORANT
• Counter-Strike 2
• PUBG Battlegrounds
• Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
• EA Sports FC
• Street Fighter 6
• Rainbow 6 Siege
• Trackmania
• League of Legends
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
• Honor of Kings
• Apex Legends

What is the Difference Between the Esports Nations Cup and the Esports World Cup?

It’s important to note that the ENC is a sister tournament of the Esports World Cup, which began in 2024. Both events are organized by the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), a non-profit based in Saudi Arabia. The EWCF receives government funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The event is backed by a large prize pool, much of which comes from the Esports World Cup Foundation. This has led some community members to question whether the competition is genuinely about celebrating national pride; others have accused the organization of ‘sportswashing.’ There is much community discourse online. Some netizens see the ENC as a chance for countries to come together, while others offer skepticism due to Saudi Arabia’s financial push into the esports ecosystem.

All that being said, the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup have very different formats. The Esports World Cup is a team-based tournament, favoring independent organizations. Meanwhile, the Esports Nations Cup prioritizes individual countries. It is similar in style to the Olympics.

VALORANT in the Esports Nations Cup

Competitive VALORANT is restructuring in 2027. Alongside major VCT changes planned for the upcoming year, VALORANT is one of the Esports Nations Cup’s headlining titles. The ENC VALORANT event will have a massive 1,500,000 USD prize pool. The first-place team claims a sizable 300,000 USD chunk.

Notably, former Sentinels player Tyson “TenZ” Ngo is coming out of retirement to play in the tournament. TenZ will represent Team Canada, alongside mada, eeiu, Marved, JonahP, koalanoob, and Zander. In addition, several Game Changers players have qualified for the main event: Nicole “Noia” Tierce and Michaela “mimi” Lintrup will represent Team Denmark. The roster beat thirteen other countries to secure one of Western Europe’s two qualifier slots.

Esports Nations Cup VALORANT Schedule and Format

The Esports Nations Cup’s qualifiers have already concluded. However, the main event is coming up soon. It will stretch from November 8 to November 15, 2026.

• Group Stage Begins: Sunday, November 8
• Grand Finals: Sunday, November 15

The ENC has not yet released an in-depth schedule. Stay tuned, as we’ll keep you updated as soon as we find out more. However, we do know that the main tournament has a specific format. It kicks off with a Group Stage, where teams are seeded into small batches that compete against each other. Usually, the Group Stage eliminates about half of the teams from the pool. Next, players progress into a Playoffs stage with sixteen participants. All of these matches are best-of-3 except for the Grand Finals, which is best-of-5. At the end of the event, there is a third-place matchup to determine final standings.

Esports Nations Cup 2026: All VALORANT Teams and Players

Alright, now let’s get into the nitty-gritty. Here’s a full list of every country’s team that has qualified for the 2026 Esports Nations Cup’s main event. In addition, we’ve listed every player on each roster.

Each team qualified through a separate pathway. The United Arab Emirates joined through the Wildcard Host Region slot, which automatically reserves a space for the country hosting the event. Sixteen teams earned entry through ENC Rankings identifying them as the strongest contenders. An additional fourteen teams arrived from regional qualifiers in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, MENA, SSA, Asia, and SEA & OCE.

United States

• trent
• valyn
• leaf
• zekken
• skuba

South Korea

• iZu
• BuZz
• Munchkin
• Francis
• Ivy
• Dambi

China

• ZmjjKK
• CHICHOO
• nobody
• Knight
• slowly
• K1ra
• Lysoar

Canada

• TenZ
• mada
• eeiu
• Marved
• JonahP
• koalanoob
• Zander

Turkey

• Alfajer
• Ruxic
• Lar0k
• RieNs
• xeus
• Wo0t
• s0pp

Brazil

• aspas
• artzin
• spikeziN
• Less
• Sacy
• Sato
• lukxo

Singapore

• Deryeon
• Jinggg
• nephh
• STYRON
• wayne
• Vera
• JayH

Poland

• kaajak
• kamo
• starxo
• PROFEK
• westside

Philippines

• Zeus
• kellyS
• xavi8k
• invy
• PatMen
• Markyyy
• Wild0reoo

United Kingdom

• Lime
• Sevire
• benjyfishy
• keiko
• Ticey
• YaBoiLewis

Chinese Taipei / Taiwan

• Nicc
• SpiritZ1
• WsLeo
• Spring
• S1Mon
• Yuicaw

Malaysia

• d4v41
• theDoctorr
• xan
• Riza
• Fixy
• toggle
• aplycs

Finland

• Jamppi
• Derke
• iluri
• Famsii
• hoody

Lithuania

• Boo
• MiniBoo
• Koshmaras
• Kajuks
• Destrian
• roxie
• vakk

Thailand

• killua
• Primmie
• JitboyS
• PTC
• Apinya
• Kadoom

Chile

• kiNgg
• erde
• Mazino
• keznit
• Tunaso
• Shyy
• david

Colombia

• Jow
• Fresht
• Darker
• Mited
• Theory

Dominican Republic

• MiniNiwde
• Xhowi
• Virtyy
• Dobsha
• Megumi

Argentina

• Neon
• rubkkoide
• ruso
• darky
• jotinha

Peru

• Xuto
• Sayled
• fab
• Jeffw4n
• Lied

France

• kAdavra
• Shin
• TakaS
• CyvOph
• mikee

Denmark

• AvovA
• Pa1ze
• KPZET
• Noia
• mimi

Hungary

• Szimpli
• Chadi
• shinnok
• bravo
• kyoukei

Czechia

• Minny
• marteen
• Magnum
• MONSTEERR
• alexiiik

Saudi Arabia

• ExiT
• Zimo
• KHaaLiD
• Fighter
• ada

South Africa

• thewy
• Travis
• ASTRAL
• RUDY
• Morgs

Japan

• Meiy
• SugarZ3ro
• Caedye
• Aace
• Dep

India

• venka
• Hoax
• Lightningfast
• hellff
• DcRulz

Vietnam

• bucute
• f1cio
• YESicaN
• Pr0digy
• Crus

New Zealand

• Blessed
• FETA
• BiggieCheese
• RESLYDE
• Swifty

United Arab Emirates

• TTyke
• fr1
• Akai
• Ebeeee
• DVDOV

Note: There is still one Wildcard slot available for another team. This Solidarity slot will go to a country with a smaller, developing esports industry.

How to Watch

The Esports Nations Cup has a dedicated YouTube channel, @ENC_EN. It also has a dedicated website here and an X.com page, @ENC_EN, with up-to-date information.

Alongside the main event streams, plenty of Twitch personalities will likely be co-streaming the event. Though the Esports Nations Cup Twitch is not yet public, its sister tournament (the Esports World Cup) is on the platform at https://www.twitch.tv/ewc.