The Esports World Cup Foundation, a global non-profit organization headquartered in Riyadh, has announced a new strategic move aimed at solidifying Saudi Arabia’s position as a global capital for gaming and esports. This announcement involves expanding its list of partners for the Esports Nations Cup, the first international tournament of its kind focused on competition between national teams in the world’s most popular games.
The announcement saw the addition of three major international game publishers: the popular chess platform Chess.com, MOONTON Games (developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang), and the renowned Japanese company SNK, known for The King of Fighters fighting game series. This strengthens the list of key partners, which already includes prominent names like Electronic Arts, Krafton, Tencent, and Ubisoft, creating a powerful alliance that ensures a diverse range of games and a world-class organizational standard.
Strategic background and future vision
This move falls within the framework of the Kingdom’s National Strategy for Gaming and Esports, launched as part of Vision 2030, which aims to make Saudi Arabia a global hub for the sector by 2030. The Esports World Cup Foundation is capitalizing on the tremendous momentum built by the Gamers8 event in recent years, which has evolved into the Esports World Cup, the world’s largest gaming and esports event. While the World Cup focuses on professional club competitions, the National Teams Cup adds a new dimension centered on national pride and competition between nations, similar to traditional sporting tournaments like the FIFA World Cup.
The importance of partnerships and their global impact
The new partners will collaborate with the organization in designing their respective qualifying paths and competition formats, ensuring the highest standards of integrity and competitive balance. The inclusion of publishers from diverse disciplines broadens the tournament's audience base and attracts a wide range of players and fans worldwide, from MOBA and fighting game enthusiasts to fans of strategic intellectual games like chess.
Commenting on this, Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, said: “Through direct collaboration with publishers, we can make the Esports World Cup a player-centric tournament, giving them the opportunity to represent their countries. With seven key partners, we can enhance global participation, deliver a tournament that fosters a sense of belonging among players, elevates the fan experience, and builds a sustainable platform that will serve as a destination for national teams in the future.”.
Championship structure and international prospects
The Esports National Teams Cup is scheduled to take place every two years, providing a stable schedule that allows national federations and players to prepare and plan for the long term. The inaugural tournament will kick off in November 2026 in Riyadh, with plans to open future editions to other global cities, giving the event a truly international character. The qualification system will include multiple pathways to ensure broad representation from all regions of the world, including global rankings, regional qualifiers, direct invitations, and reserved slots to guarantee inclusive participation from various countries.
