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The Esports Nations Cup preperation is rapidly advancing.
Credit: Esports World Cup
The first ever Esports Nations Cup is rapidly approaching, giving the esports industry a fresh event focused on national competition rather than the club based competition that has dominated for years. It remains to be seen if the event will work, if fans actually care about national competition after almost every other event has underwhelmed, but for now the focus is on making sure everything is ready for the big event in Riyadh this November. Now a major step on that journey has been completed, with the national partners having been announced.
With a whole world of countries hoping to have representation at the first Esports Nations Cup, and a lack of any kind of national governance for most of those countries, the national partner process was set up, giving representatives from each eligible country the chance to apply to essentially run their countries teams for the debut event. In total more than 600 applications were submitted, and those have been whittled down to the best of the best, with just over 100 countries now having a national team partner to run the country’s ENC hopes.
“It was an incredibly complex process, but also a very valuable one,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation, the company hosting the event. “We received more than 630 applications from over 150 countries and territories, which shows the level of global interest in representing nations in esports. What stood out is how different each country’s ecosystem is. In some markets, you have well-structured organizations that are experienced and well connected. In others, things are still more fragmented or developing. There isn’t one standard model you can apply globally. So the selection process focused on substance. We looked at who can operate reliably, who is organized and credible, who can work constructively with publishers, and who is in a position to actually deliver teams and processes.”
The non-centalised system of esports means there is no perfect solution for every nation. Some nations, such as South Korea, already have associations set up for things like this, whereas others have been formed specifically for the ENC and in some nations major teams, or individuals have taken up the mantle. In Brazil, for example, most of the country’s top clubs have come together to form a collective to represent the nation.
“We formed an alliance because representing a country requires alignment at the highest level,” said Jaime Pádua, national team director for Brazil. “By bringing together Brazil’s leading clubs, we ensure the national team is built on collaboration and a shared commitment to excellence, with technical and competitive decisions prioritized above any individual interest. In practice, this means close coordination between organizations to ensure alignment so that top athletes are fully available and supported, along with shared preparation and a unified approach to performance. Competitors on the field. Partners when it comes to representing the country.”
Of course, not every country has a representative under the new system. Some had no applications, while others were not up to the required standard to become a national team partner. But, that doesn’t mean competitors from those nations are out of luck. The Esports Nations Cup is open to the best players, and if they deserve to be there, they will be.
“Our goal is global player participation, not simply handing out as many national appointments as possible," said Reichert. "A national partner is not a requirement to compete. National partners exist to make participation better for players, not to control it. We selected official partners and managers only where we saw the right level of credibility, capability, and player support, and where that structure would clearly add value for players through stronger local execution and oversight. Where that is not yet the case, players will still have a pathway to qualify through regional managers appointed by the Esports Foundation.”
Now those selected national partners and regional managers have the unenviable task of building rosters and starting the qualification journey to the Esports Nations Cup. That will not be an easy task, having to navigate the political landscape of clubs giving up their top players, as well as potentially making a cohesive team out of bitter rivals is sure to throw up at least a few interesting twists and turns over the next few months. It’s a journey certainly worth keeping an eye on in the run up to the debut event.
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