The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has added Rainbow Six Siege to the lineup for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29.
The announcement, delivered at the Six Invitational 2026 in Paris, confirms the tactical shooter as one of 16 titles where national teams will compete for gold. The inclusion, which could be expected as Ubisoft is a founding partner of the event, introduces a structured qualification system based on international player rankings and regional qualifiers.
A total of 24 national teams will participate in the Rainbow Six Siege competition, which runs from November 18 to 22. Qualification for the event will be determined through a combination of direct invites based on the Siege National Team Ranking, regional online qualifiers, and wildcard slots.
Twelve nations will receive direct invitations via the ranking system, which aggregates points from the top five players on each submitted roster, which cannot count only on members of one single organisation. Points are accrued through official Rainbow Six competitions, including Regional Leagues, Majors, and the Six Invitational, as well as Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 results. The cut-off date for the ranking is May 17.
Ten additional teams will secure their places through regional online qualifiers held May 29-31, featuring double-elimination brackets across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia, with each region awarding two slots. The final two berths will be filled via wildcard slots.
Alongside Rainbow Six Siege, the EWCF has confirmed other titles for the Esports Nations Cup 2026: EA FC was announced on February 9, with its tournament scheduled from November 17 to 22. Unlike the ranking-based system for Rainbow Six, EA FC will feature open in-game qualifiers, allowing players worldwide to earn a spot representing their nation. A total of 128 athletes will compete in Riyadh. Honor of Kings was added on February 8, with its competition running from November 24 to 29, also featuring 24 national teams.
Other previously confirmed titles for the ENC 2026 include Counter-Strike 2, Chess on Chess.com, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Ubisoft’s Trackmania, Dota 2, and FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves. The full list of 16 games is expected to be unveiled in the lead-up to the event, which marks the first standalone national team competition organised by the Esports World Cup Foundation.
See how nations are organising for the 2026 ENC at The Esports Radar’s Live Tracker.
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