Sources say VALORANT is set for the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026. Riot’s tactical shooter will be one of the top FPS games at the EWCF Riyadh bash from November 2 to 29. Fresh off a chess add, it hits 17+ titles in the biggest country-vs-country esports event ever, with a prize pool of over $60 million. The first real Nations Cup for VALORANT gets rid of VCT regions in favor of national teams, which makes everyone feel proud.
After CS2, FPS games needed something to fill the gap. 5v5 agents/maps scream arena: USA-Brazil shootouts, China grind vs. EU flash, India upstarts vs. Korea aim gods. The format is like CS2: 16 to 24 nations compete in regionals (Americas, EMEA, Pac, and China), Swiss groups, and a single-elimination tournament that ends with the finals. You need proof of residency, a federal nod, and no merc stacks. Welcome to the drama.
Quals tap VCT: Champs/top-4 direct; Sept-Oct closed double-elim nationals. Africa Logiq, LATAM KRÜ, and SEA BOOM shine in non-VCT. Rosters national soap: USA TenZ/Asuna or locals? India clutch1/Sp0m; China drill. Elite players pull in more than $15 million in FPS cash.
Streams hype it up: Twitch and YouTube VAL channels, multi-cast, arena flags, intros, and pressers give it an Olympic feel. A $2 million+ winner chunk of prizes. Red Bull, Razer, and bookies make money off of 75 million Gen-Z people every month.
Nations are getting ready: 50-state hunts in India, a college boom in the US, and pros in Brazil’s favelas. Gov juice: Saudi PIF, UAE crypto, and India MeitY. FIDE-like fights—dual-cit/military—but the feds sort it out.
Format buzz: VCT maps and national skins, agent bans (no Phoenix England?), and Armageddon OT chess-style. No more than two imports. Showmatches make people excited.
Matchups lit: Americas power (Sentinels/100T) vs. EMEA chaos (Fnatic/Heretics); Pac Paper Rex vs. China EDG. Horses: SA TGR, Mexico KRÜ. Chess Carlsen paves; VALO globalizes FPS.
EWCF owns: Post-’25 EWC $60M win, ENC 30+ days/20+ titles/100+ nations. 500 million viewers, $100 million in sponsors, and a metaverse beat the Olympic “27” snub.
TenZ “Canada 🇨🇦,” Demon1 “USA redo,” and Alfajer “Morocco” were the players who lit up. Feds are in a hurry—India chess to VALO academies. Quals seed; anthems are ready. VALORANT ENC kings—agents bang, nations soar. Calls from the crown.
