Esports Nations Cup Postponed To 2027 As Esports Foundation Cites Regional Uncertainty

The inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) will no longer take place in Riyadh this November. The Esports Foundation has announced that the tournament has been postponed to November 2027, following an assessment of the wider regional situation and consultations with key stakeholders.

The decision was announced by the Esports Foundation on August 18, just months before the tournament was originally scheduled to begin. The organization said the scale of ENC, which involves national teams and stakeholders from more than 100 countries and territories, made moving the event the responsible choice amid the current uncertainty.

Saudi Arabia remains capable of hosting major sporting and entertainment events, according to the foundation. However, EF said it wants the first edition of ENC to take place under conditions that provide greater certainty for national teams, publishers, partners and fans.

ENC Will Now Take Place In November 2027

The postponement moves the inaugural Esports Nations Cup back by a full year, but the Esports Foundation stressed that its plans for the competition have not changed.

ENC was designed as a global national-team competition bringing together players from more than 100 countries and territories across multiple game titles. The tournament is intended to complement the existing esports calendar while giving national teams a larger role in the competitive ecosystem.

The foundation also confirmed that all existing ENC Development Fund commitments to National Team Partners will remain in place. Development programs will continue during the additional year, with EF working alongside publishers, National Team Partners and other stakeholders as the new schedule is finalized.

Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation, said the decision was made because the organization wants the inaugural event to meet the expectations surrounding it.

“We owe them an inaugural ENC delivered under the right conditions and at the level this idea deserves.”

Reichert added that moving the tournament to 2027 does not change EF's commitment to the competition or the national esports ecosystems already being developed around it.

“The work continues, and our ambition for ENC remains unchanged.”

More Than 100 Countries Are Already Involved

Despite the postponement, the Esports Foundation says the Esports Nations Cup has already built significant momentum.

More than 100 countries and territories across every continent have secured official partner status. Those partners are expected to help bring national teams and players into the competition across multiple esports titles.

The foundation's long-term vision for ENC goes beyond simply creating another international tournament. It wants the competition to create new opportunities for esports athletes, strengthen national esports programs and give fans another way to connect with competitive gaming through national pride.

That development work will continue throughout the postponement.

EF said it will spend the coming weeks working with National Team Partners, publishers and other stakeholders to provide more information about the revised competition calendar, qualification pathways and other changesresulting from the move to 2027.

The Esports Nations Cup was already shaping up to be one of the biggest new additions to the international esports calendar. Now, instead of seeing the first edition in Riyadh this November, fans will have to wait until November 2027 to see the concept finally put into action.

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