RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — November 26, 2025 — Leads & Copy — Chess.com, MOONTON Games, and SNK are joining the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) as Official Publishers, according to a press release today from the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF). They will be working alongside Founding Publishers EA, Krafton, Tencent, and Ubisoft to develop the foundational structure of the event.
The ENC is a tournament where the best esports players in the world compete, representing their countries. The ENC introduces national pride to the global esports stage in a recurring format and is the first event of its kind at this scale. The addition of Chess.com, MOONTON Games, and SNK will bring iconic titles, global reach, and player communities to enhance the first Esports Nations Cup.
All Official Publishers will co-design qualification paths and competition formats for their respective titles, according to the press release. This will ensure integrity, competitive relevance, and a consistent global structure.
The EWCF and its Founding Publishers continue to co-develop the ENC, establishing the tournament’s foundational framework, structure, and format from inception, representing a deeper level of strategic partnership and commitment than other publishers.
According to Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, partnering closely with publishers allows them to make the Esports Nations Cup truly player-centric, and give players the opportunity to represent their country in the games that define their careers.
With the seven partners announced so far as close collaborators, Reichert said that they can activate players worldwide and deliver a Nations Cup that feels earned for players and real for fans, and build a stage that national teams can aspire to for years to come.
The Esports Nations Cup builds on the momentum of the Esports World Cup and extends its mission to a new layer of global competition, the press release stated. While the Esports World Cup unites the best clubs, the ENC unlocks a new frontier powered by national identity and regional representation.
The ENC will feature national teams from North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Oceania. Teams will compete in both team-based and solo-player formats.
A multi-layered qualification model will combine global rankings, regional qualifiers, and wildcard entries, including solidarity placements, to ensure a broad and representative competitive stage in every game.
The Esports Nations Cup will debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2026, before moving to a rotating host model. The event will be held every two years, and organizers say it will provide a dependable structure for players and esports organizations, encouraging long-term investment in national team programs.
Additional information about the Esports Nations Cup will be released in the coming weeks. To stay up to date, visit esportsnationscup.com, and follow ENC on X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and follow the Esports World Cup Foundation on LinkedIn.
The Esports Nations Cup (ENC) is a biennial global esports competition created by the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) that brings national pride to the world stage. The ENC will feature the world’s best players competing not for their clubs, but for their countries, across a lineup of leading esports titles. It aims to fuel fandom, inspire heroes, and provide sustainable pathways for nations, players, and partners to grow within the global esports ecosystem.
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) is a non-profit organization based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, dedicated to advancing and professionalizing the global esports industry. Through the annual Esports World Cup (EWC) and the biennial Esports Nations Cup (ENC), EWCF brings together the world’s top players, leading clubs, and millions of fans for the biggest stages in competitive gaming. Beyond hosting tournaments, the Foundation works year-round to grow the esports ecosystem, support talent development, and create lasting opportunities for players, teams, and partners worldwide.
Source: Esports World Cup Foundation
