The Esports Foundation (EF, former Esports World Cup Foundation) announced that Street Fighter 6 has joined the official lineup for the first-ever Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC). Set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the tournament will run from 18 November to 22 November, marking the 16th and final title added to the massive biennial event.

Unlike traditional solo fighting game brackets, the ENC will utilise a 4-on-4 Team Battle format. In this structure, teams face off in a series of four 1v1 matches, while the Grand Final expands to a best-of-eight marathon. If a tie occurs, a final tie-breaker match will determine which nation takes home the gold.

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The path to Riyadh involves a rigorous selection process. A total of 24 national teams will compete, with 12 earning direct invites through the newly established ENC Street Fighter 6 National Team Ranking. This ranking aggregates the performance of a nation’s top three players in major tournaments held between the start of 2025 and 28 June 2026, including the results of EVO Vegas 2026.

An additional 10 slots will be filled through regional qualifiers held from 30 June to 3 July across territories like South America, Southeast Asia, and Western Europe, while the final two spots are reserved for Wildcards.

For invited nations, the team will consist of the top-ranked player from the 2026 World Warrior Ranking joined by three high-ranking players from the national system. For those who qualify through regional brackets, the winning player of the qualifier automatically secures a spot alongside the region’s top performers.

To support these efforts, the Esports Foundation has already appointed official National Team Partners across more than 100 territories, including organizations like NODWIN Gaming in India and the Japan Esports Union. This initiative is backed by the ENC Development Fund, which commits a minimum of $20 million annually to cover logistics and promotional costs for participating nations.

The broader event, which runs from 2 November to 29 November, also includes high-stakes tournaments for Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, VALORANT, and League of Legends. See the full list in this link.

The ENC counts on the backing of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which holds shares at Street Fighter publisher Capcom.

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