32 national Valorant teams to play ENC 2026 in Riyadh

Riot Games confirmed Valorant will be part of the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026 in Riyadh. The tournament runs Nov. 8–15 and will host 32 national teams as part of a month-long esports program in the Saudi capital.

The tournament begins with four groups of eight teams. Each team will play seven best-of-one matches in group play. The top four teams from each group will advance to a 16-team single-elimination bracket. Matches in the knockout stage will be best-of-three, with the final played as a best-of-five. The schedule spans eight days.

Qualification for the 32 spots is split into three routes. Sixteen nations will qualify via a National Team Ranking based on player results in official VALORANT Champions Tour competitions through June 21, 2026. Fourteen additional teams will earn places through short regional online tournaments held June 26–28 across seven regions, including North America, Western Europe and Asia. Two wildcard entries will complete the field.

National teams will be assembled from players who normally compete across franchise leagues and regional circuits. That means players who are club rivals could appear together on national rosters. Organizers have said selection criteria and roster rules will affect how federations and managers build squads ahead of the event.

The ENC’s national-team format differs from the franchise-based VCT system by focusing on country representation rather than club or city brands. The qualification structure for ENC is more compressed, placing greater emphasis on existing VCT results instead of longer, multi-phase qualifying cycles used in some other international events.

The scale of the Valorant event sits in the mid-to-upper range for national-team competitions. For comparison, the 2026 Overwatch World Cup featured 52 teams across its program and advanced 30 teams to its main stage, while ENC moves directly into a 32-team main event after group play.

The Esports Nations Cup will include other titles alongside Valorant, such as Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Apex Legends and EA Sports FC. The combined schedule groups multiple international tournaments into a single program.

Industry participants are preparing for the national format. Esports betting platforms in markets including the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia are expected to add country-based fixtures, introducing different variables for odds compilers and bettors compared with established club matchups.

Organizers have not released full details on roster deadlines, player eligibility rules or broadcast arrangements. National federations, team managers and players will finalise rosters and logistics ahead of the June qualification windows and the November main event in Riyadh.