The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has announced the addition of Apex Legends to the games lineup for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC). The battle royale title becomes the eleventh confirmed game out of a planned 16, following confirmation earlier this week that PUBG: Battlegrounds will also feature in the November competition.
The Apex Legends tournament at ENC 2026 is scheduled to take place from November 26 to 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of the broader event running from November 2 through 29. Forty teams representing countries and territories will compete, utilising a format that includes a group stage followed by a 20-team match point final.
Qualification for the Apex Legends event will be determined through a combination of competitive rankings and regional online qualifiers. The 20 highest-ranked countries and territories based on cumulative ALGS Championship Points from all eligible players—with a cut-off date of July 12, 2026—will receive guaranteed representation.
A further 18 teams will qualify through regional Online Qualifiers scheduled for August 1-2, 2026, with two additional teams coming from Wildcard slots. The specific rosters representing each country or territory will also be determined through these qualifiers, with the highest-placing roster per nation earning the right to compete.
A notable rule stipulates that teams may only include a maximum of two players from their ALGS Year 6 Split 1 roster, ensuring new combinations of players will represent their countries.
Slot allocation for the online qualifiers has been confirmed as follows: Americas will receive six slots, Europe combined with the Middle East and Africa will receive nine slots, and Asia Pacific South will receive three slots. South Korea and Japan will receive direct invitations through the ALGS Championship Ranking, with online qualifiers held solely to determine their rosters, while Asia Pacific North will receive zero allocation through the qualifier route.
PUBG: Battlegrounds was confirmed for the Esports Nations Cup on February 16, with its tournament running from November 11 to 15. Twenty-four national teams will compete, featuring a group stage of three groups of eight teams, leading to a 16-team grand final.
Direct invites for PUBG will be based on the KRAFTON PUBG Power Rankings, using a national ranking system that accumulates points from the top four players on each submitted roster, with a cut-off date of June 7, 2026. Regional online qualifiers for PUBG are scheduled for July 10-12, with slot allocation as follows: Americas will receive two slots, Europe combined with the Middle East and Africa will receive four slots, Asia will receive two slots, and Southeast Asia combined with Oceania will receive two slots.
Both titles have previously been featured at Esports World Cup (EWC) events in Riyadh. The ALGS Year 6 Split 1 Playoffs are scheduled to be hosted at EWC 2026 from July 7 through July 11.
With the addition of Apex Legends and PUBG: Battlegrounds, a total of 11 out of 16 game titles have now been confirmed for the Esports Nations Cup 2026. Both EA and KRAFTON have joined as partners for the event. Readers can follow The Esports Radar’s Live Tracker for the full list of confirmed games, competition dates, and updates on how countries are organising their national teams for the competition.
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