FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves Added to Esports Nations Cup Roster

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has revealed that SNK Corporation’s acclaimed fighting game, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, will be among the 16 titles featured in the first-ever Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC 2026). This exciting event is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29, 2026.

FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves joins a lineup that includes other popular games like Dota 2, Trackmania, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

The tournament for FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves will kick off on November 12, culminating in the playoff finals on November 15. The initial stage will see 32 players divided into four groups of eight, competing in a group stage format. The top four players from each group will move on to the next round, which will feature a single-elimination playoff bracket with 16 players. Matches in the group stage will be best-of-seven, while playoff matches will be best-of-nine.

Direct invites will be extended to the top 16 players based on the official SNK World Championship 2026 point rankings. Additionally, 13 teams will qualify through regional events, and three players will be selected via wildcard slots. The deadline for determining direct invites to ENC 2026 is set for June 28, as stated by the EWCF.

RANKING SYSTEM AND QUALIFIER INFO

A total of 32 players will represent their national teams in the FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves event at ENC 2026. Regional qualifiers for the game will occur from July 3 to 5, utilizing double-elimination brackets across various regions.

More details about the Esports Nations Cup will be shared in the upcoming weeks.

The inclusion of FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves in this year’s ENC is unsurprising, given that its developer is a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). All gaming entities and investments under the PIF are managed by another subsidiary, Savvy Games Group.

Projects funded by the Saudi government often face scrutiny for being perceived as attempts at “sports washing,” aimed at diverting attention from the country’s 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 international watchdog organizations.