Counter-Strike 2 Added to 2026 Esports Nations Cup Roster

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has officially added Counter-Strike 2 to the lineup for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), which is set to kick off in November in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Joining CS2 are other previously confirmed titles like Dota 2, Chess, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, and Trackmania. Additionally, Tencent’s popular mobile MOBA, Honor of Kings, has also been announced as a competitive title.

The CS2 tournament at the ENC will run from November 10 to November 15, culminating in the playoff finals. The competition will start with 24 national teams engaging in a round-robin group stage, divided into four groups of six teams, with matches played in a best-of-one format. The top four teams from each group will move on to the next stage.

In the second stage, 16 teams will compete in a single-elimination playoff bracket, with playoff matches being best-of-three and the Grand Final set as a best-of-five series.

To qualify for the ENC, the 24 teams will be determined through a two-stage qualifier held from July 6 to July 19. This process will utilize a newly established CS2 National Team Ranking system to identify eligible nations.

This ranking system will help determine which countries will host national qualifiers and will seed teams accordingly. It is based on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), with national rankings accumulating points from the top five players on each national roster. The cut-off date for the CS2 National Team Ranking is June 1. For nations not covered by the VRS, FACEIT Elo points will serve as a secondary method for identifying qualifiers and seeding teams.

The first stage consists of National Qualifiers across 96 countries and territories to find each nation’s top CS2 team. The winner from each National Qualifier will advance to the Regional Qualifier for a shot at competing in Riyadh. These qualifiers will follow a single-elimination format.

The second stage, the Regional Qualifiers, will determine which national teams secure their spots at the ENC. This stage will feature a double-elimination bracket.

It’s important to note that for VRS ranking purposes, CS2 at the ENC 2026 is classified as a VRS Tier 2 event, and eligibility rules stipulate that national rosters must consist solely of players with the same citizenship. According to EWCF, “For teams listed in the VRS rankings as of the cut-off date of June 1, no more than three players from the same VRS-ranked team may be registered on a single national team. Clubs that release three of their core players to the national team will earn VRS Ranking points for their Club through the ENC.”

The Esports Nations Cup is scheduled to take place from November 2 to 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event is being organized by the EWCF, which is supported by a “sports grant” from the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Projects funded by the Saudi government often face criticism for being used as a means of “sports washing,” allowing the government to divert attention from its human rights record, including issues related to women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, the treatment of journalists, military actions in Yemen, and more. These concerns have been raised by various international watchdog organizations.