First Information Emerges About Esports Nation Cup 2026
Starting in 2024, the Esports World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia and is being positioned to become a truly annual tournament within the global Esports system, on par with Major tournaments (CS:GO, DOTA 2) or MSI, Worlds (League of Legends)… The ambition doesn’t stop there as the oil-rich owners have introduced another tournament, named the Esports Nation Cup, for national teams. Recently, new information has sparked discussions within the League of Legends community, especially in the LCK region.
Accordingly, some newly revealed information indicates that the tournament is for teams representing each country, similar to ASIAD, SEA Games… and each team will consist of 7 players. However, another regulation states that no more than 3 players from the same team can be included in this list.
From the newly released information, the League of Legends community, especially in the LCK region, has immediately sparked discussions about the lineup chosen to compete in ENC 2026 for Korean League of Legends. It is well known that this region gathers the highest quality players concentrated in 3-4 top teams including Gen.G, T1, HLE, and DK/KT… Therefore, “who to keep and who to drop” is always a tough problem for any coach selected to lead the Korean League of Legends team.
– It could be Kiin – Oner – Chovy/Faker – Ruler + 1 – Keria
– 3 players from Gen.G, plus 3 from T1, and the last spot could go to anyone since this tournament doesn’t affect obligations like ASIAD
– So Hirai will also be responsible for competing in this tournament, right?
The ASIAD or Esports Nation Cup lineup will depend on the players’ form
With so many high-quality players, these superstars must prove they deserve a spot. Before ENC 2026, the ASIAD will take place around mid-year. This is a particularly important arena that could shape the roster for the upcoming ENC.
And specifically for the T1 stars, they may have to put an end to their “habit” of underperforming throughout the year and only shining at Worlds if they don’t want to miss the opportunity to participate in international tournaments wearing the Korean national team colors.