Esports Foundation announces Wildcard qualification rules for Esports Nations Cup 2026

The Esports Foundation has clarified the qualification system for teams entering the Esports Nations Cup 2026 through Wildcard slots.

Most participants will receive direct invitations based on player rankings or through standard qualifiers. The remaining spots will be distributed via three types of Wildcard slots: Solidarity Slots, Special Invitations, and Host Region Slots. The system is designed to overcome structural, technical, and regional barriers for underrepresented countries, while all Wildcard participants will receive full financial support for travel and accommodation.

Solidarity Slots
These quotas are aimed at supporting regions across all disciplines except Counter-Strike 2. Starting from July 20, countries and territories that qualify in no more than one ENC discipline will be eligible to apply for a slot in their strongest title. The Esports Foundation, together with game publishers, will allocate these spots based on competitiveness and regional representation after all main qualifiers conclude.

Special Invitations
This type of Wildcard is intended for countries unable to participate in standard qualifiers due to technical or structural limitations. Invitations apply only to selected disciplines and are not tied to current competitive results, being granted solely on eligibility criteria.

The current allocation of Special Invitations and Solidarity Slots is as follows:

• EA Sports FC: 5 Special Invitations, 2 Solidarity Slots
• PUBG MOBILE: 4 Special Invitations, 1 Solidarity Slot
• Chess: 2 Solidarity Slots
• Rocket League: 2 Solidarity Slots
• Honor of Kings: 1 Special Invitation, 1 Solidarity Slot
• Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves: 1 Special Invitation, 1 Solidarity Slot

All other esports disciplines, except Counter-Strike 2, will automatically receive one Solidarity Slot each.

Host Region Slots
Unlike the traditional system where the host nation qualifies automatically, Saudi Arabia will not receive a direct berth at ENC 2026.

Instead, organizers introduced a merit-based qualification system for the entire Gulf Cooperation Council region, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The slot will be awarded to the country within the bloc that achieves the strongest results without already qualifying through standard pathways.

Esports Nations Cup 2026 will take place from November 2 to November 29, featuring national teams competing across 16 esports disciplines.

As a reminder, NAVI Junior have advanced to the grand final of VALORANT Challengers 2026 EMEA: Stage 2.