The Esports Foundation announced on Tuesday, August 18 that the first edition of the Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, has been postponed.
The competition is pushed back a year to November 2027, a decision taken after an ongoing assessment of the wider regional situation and consultation with key stakeholders.
Why?
The organization points to the event's unprecedented international scale and to regional uncertainty (the same factors that forced an emergency relocation of the EWC to Paris). Moving the ENC is, in its view, the responsible call — one that gives national teams, publishers, partners and fans the certainty and stability they expect.
The EF is careful to add that Saudi Arabia remains fully capable of hosting events, with major sporting and entertainment fixtures going ahead as planned in the kingdom.
Ralf Reichert stepped up to defend the move.
The decision to postpone the Esports Nations Cup was not taken lightly
said the Esports Foundation CEO in the press release. He insisted the foundation's commitment remains undiminished, with continued investment in the National Team Partners, ongoing work with publishers, and the continued build-out of the national ecosystems already taking shape around the competition.
Financial commitments already made to National Team Partners through the ENC Development Fund will be honored, as will the fund itself and its associated development programs. The EF says it will work directly with its partners on the implications of the new timeline, and will on the revised competition calendar and qualification pathways.
