HLTV Editor-in-Chief Milan “Striker” Švejda revealed that the organizers of Esports World Cup 2026 and Esports Nations Cup 2026 are currently considering backup locations for both events. He shared the information during the HLTV Confirmed podcast.
Alternative venues for EWC and ENC are being discussed in case hosting the tournaments becomes impossible due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
“I know they’ve been working on contingency plans for some time already. Plans for what happens if hosting the tournament in Saudi Arabia becomes impossible. I’ve heard about European and Asian locations,” Striker said.
Among the possible backup locations mentioned are China, as well as European cities such as Katowice and Stockholm.
EWC 2026 is scheduled to begin on July 2 and run until August 23. ENC 2026 will take place from November 2 to November 29.
Reminder: The club viewership rankings were recently updated following IEM Rio 2026.
