The inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) will no longer take place in Riyadh this year, with organisers moving the event to November 2027 amid ongoing tensions across the Middle East.
In a press release, the Esports Foundation (EF) announced a one-year postponement of the tournament, originally scheduled for November 2 to 29.
“Given ENC’s unprecedented international scale and the uncertainty created by the wider regional situation, EF believes moving the inaugural competition to November 2027 is the responsible decision to provide the certainty and stability that National Teams, publishers, partners and fans expect,” the foundation said.
The event, billed as one of the major esports stages this year, was expected to feature national teams from over 100 countries and territories competing across 16 game titles.
EF: Postponement ‘not taken lightly’
The EF said that the latest decision followed consultations with partners and an assessment of the current regional situation in the Middle East.
Foundation CEO Ralf Reichert said that the priority was to ensure that the ENC’s debut could be delivered with the stability and conditions expected by teams, publishers, partners and fans.
“The decision to postpone was not taken lightly,” Reichert said.
“The response from National Team Partners, publishers, players and communities around the world has shown us how much potential this competition has,” he said.
“We owe them an inaugural ENC delivered under the right conditions and at the level this idea deserves,” he added.
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Saudi’s bid to become global esports hub
The postponement comes as Saudi Arabia continues its push to become a global esports hub.
The ENC was designed to expand competitive gaming beyond the traditional club model of the Esports World Cup (EWC).
Through ENC, players will be able to represent their home countries rather than their professional organisations.
Planned lineup includes major game titles such as League of Legends, Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and PUBG Mobile, among others.
ENC programmes to continue
Despite the delay, the EF said that development programmes related to the ENC would continue.
“The ENC Development Fund and related ecosystem development programs will continue, alongside ongoing work with publishers, National Team Partners and other stakeholders,” the EF said.
“EF will work directly with partners on the implications of the revised timeline and the transition towards the inaugural competition in 2027,” it added.
Prior esports calendar changes
The decision marks another major disruption to Saudi Arabia’s esports calendar.
The EF had already moved this year’s EWC from Riyadh to Paris in July because of the regional conflict.
Despite the development, the foundation maintains that Saudi Arabia remains capable of hosting major international events.
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