Mobile Legends: Bang Bang at the 30th Southeast Asian Games esports competition held at the San Juan Arena in San Juan City on December 06, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — The supposed inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) has been postponed to November 2027, the Esports Foundation (EF) announced recently.
Originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the ENC was postponed due to the "ongoing uncertainty surrounding the wider regional situation."
The EF said that moving the tournament would give participating countries, partners and fans "more certainty and stability," although they asserted that Saudi Arabia "remains fully capable of hosting events," including major sporting and entertainment events.
The competition was expected to bring together teams from more than 100 countries and territories around the world. With the ENC’s unprecedented international scale, EF believes that the additional year makes sure that the tournament happens under stable and appropriate conditions.
“The decision to postpone the Esports Nation Cup was taken lightly. The response from National Team Partners, publishers, players and communities around the world has shown us how much potential this competition has. We owe them an inaugural ENC delivered under the right conditions at the level this idea deserves,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation.
The Philippines has lineups in seven game titles: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Valorant, League of Legends, Dota 2, PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings and Chess.
The delay, however, leaves the status of the Philippines’ current rosters and qualification spots for the 2027 edition to be clarified.
The EF said it will work with National Team Partners, publishers and other stakeholders in the coming weeks to determine the revised competition calendar, qualification pathways and other implications of the new timeline.
Despite the postponement, the EF said its ENC Development Fund commitments to National Team Partners will remain in place. The organization will also continue working with publishers and national partners on ecosystem development ahead of the 2027 tournament.
The ENC is intended to be a major international esports competition similar in concept to the “World Cup” where players represent their countries or national teams, rather than simply competing for their professional organizations.
The organization is also responsible for the Esports World Cup, one of the biggest international esports competitions.