The Esports Nations Cup (ENC)2026 has confirmed Dota 2 as the third title for its debut event, following the announcements of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Trackmania. The announcement by the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) details a 32-team tournament structure and a dedicated qualification pathway.
Scheduled to run from 2nd to 8th November 2026 in Riyahd, Saudi Arabia, the Dota 2 tournament will feature national teams, each comprising the top five players from their country as long as they are not all from the same team, as per the ENC rules. The tournament’s structure is designed to ensure broad global participation, with a mix of direct invites and regional qualifiers.
The qualification process for the 32 slots will be tightly defined. The top 16 national teams will receive direct invitations based on a new Dota 2 National Team Ranking. This ranking will calculate points from Tier 1 competitions starting 8th June 2025, aggregating the points of the top five players on each national roster. A further 14 teams will secure their place through online regional qualifiers held between 16th June and 5th July 2026, with two additional teams entering via Wildcard slots.
The competition aims to crown a national world champion through a format beginning with a round-robin group stage and culminating in single-elimination playoffs.
The ENC announcement coincides with a period of significant growth for the Dota 2 competitive scene. 2025 has seen organisers like BLAST and PGL commit to long-term, high-value tournaments in cities such as Singapore and Chengdu, with PGL alone pledging $13 million in prize money from 2025 to 2028. These developments point to an ecosystem attracting investment and expanding its global event footprint beyond the traditional and established The International. The ENC now seeks to complement with a national team focus.
Follow The Esports Radar on social media:
