Esports Nations Cup 2026 Debuts in Riyadh, Indonesia Prepares the Best Team

JAKARTA - The Esports Foundation (EF) officially determined 16 games that will be competed in the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), including Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, PUBG: Battlegrounds, PUBG MOBILE, Honor of Kings, and VALORANT.

The tournament will make its debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 2-29, 2026, where Indonesia will compete among more than 100,000 players from 100 countries to fight for their place on the world stage.

"The titles of the games that will be present at ENC 2026 are not solely based on the most popular games, but also to bring the widest possible range of players," said Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer of the Esports Foundation.

By enabling countries and regions to form national teams, develop talent development pathways, and compete on the world stage, ENC presents a clear framework for expanding participation while strengthening the esports ecosystem around the world.

ENC is supported by a funding commitment of 45 million US dollars (Rp769 billion), including a total prize of 20 million US dollars (Rp342 billion) which will be given directly to players and coaches spread across 16 game titles.

With an equal distribution scheme for players and coaches for the same final position, where the first champion will receive 50,000 US dollars (Rp855 million) for each player, followed by 30,000 US dollars (Rp513 million) for second place, and 15,000 US dollars (Rp256 million) for third place.

Indonesian Team Preparation

For the Indonesian team itself, the National Team Manager for the 2026 ENC, Glorya Famiela Ralahalo, revealed that they would conduct a selection to get qualified athletes and coaches.

Furthermore, the Indonesian Esports General Manager (PB ESI) will hold a national training (pelatnas) based on sport science, which will later be managed professionally, modern, and sustainable.

"So the second pillar of our strategy is to build a bootcamp program or sport science-based national program, which will be managed professionally, modern, and sustainable," Glorya said in a press conference on Thursday, April 9.

In this national training, athletes are not only trained in the technical aspects of the game, but also other aspects such as physical fitness, recovery, mental health, nutritional evaluation, and sports psychology support.