Broad Alliance Supports the German National Team for the 2026 Esports Nations Cup

The Esports Nations Cup (ENC), a new international esports competition for national teams, is set to launch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2026. More than 100 countries and regions will participate, including a German national team. This team will be organised through a collaboration between the E-Sport-Bund Deutschland (ESBD / German eSports Federation), the esports player foundation (epf) and game – the German Games Industry Association in coordination with the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (DOSB / German Olympic Sports Confederation). In other words, it is a broad alliance spanning esports, the games industry and traditional sports. This was announced today by the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), the organiser of the Esports Nations Cup.

The partners also introduced the National Team Manager for Germany: Christian Lenz, co-founder of BIG (Berlin International Gaming) and an esports veteran with over 25 years' experience. As National Team Manager, he is responsible for selecting and appointing coaches, as well as building competitive national teams.

'The Esports Nations Cup marks the first time that national teams will compete in esports. This is a major step forward for esports. In coordination with our partners, and while upholding and strictly adhering to the values of sport — respect, fairness and diversity — we are supporting the organisation of the German national team. Through the planned DOSB Esports GmbH, we will be able to provide the necessary structure and guidance to build lasting bridges between traditional sports and esports,' said Leon Ries, DOSB Executive Board Member for Youth Sports.

"For us, taking part in the Esports Nations Cup means much more than just competing; it also represents the next step in the development of German esports. At the E-Sport-Bund Deutschland, our vision is clear: to establish a high-performing national team through an extensive system that identifies talent early on, nurtures it individually and integrates it into the team in a transparent, performance-based manner. Our goal is to create a sustainable ecosystem that will strengthen athletes in the long term and enable them to compete internationally, supported by clear concepts, strong partnerships and the ambition to set new standards," says Christopher Flato, President of the E-Sport-Bund Deutschland.

"Taking part in the Esports Nations Cup is an important step towards establishing performance-oriented structures in German esports. Above all, building a competitive national team is a structural task: talent must be systematically identified and developed, and players must be selected for the roster based on clear criteria. If we want to strengthen esports in Germany in the long term, we must consistently establish and nurture these structures," says Julius Althoff, Managing Director of the esports player foundation.

"The Esports Nations Cup offers the best German esports athletes the chance to showcase their skills at the highest international level. After challenging years for esports, it is all the more important to take advantage of such international opportunities. The collaboration between traditional sports, esports and the games industry, based on the extensive experience of the esports player foundation, will create a solid foundation for the German team," says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game.

The ENC will launch in Riyadh in November 2026, after which it will adopt a rotating host-city model. The event will be held every two years to provide a dependable structure. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Trackmania and Dota 2 have already been confirmed for the ENC 2026. The ENC introduces a placement-based prize framework that is applied to all game titles. Every qualified participant earns prize money and is guaranteed at least three matches.

"The Esports Nations Cup introduces something esports has never had before: a global system for national teams at an unprecedented scale," said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation. "The response we received from across the world shows that communities are ready for this next step. Together with our partners, we are building the structures that will allow players to represent their nations and compete on the biggest stage in esports. With more than 100 nations now part of the system, the Esports Nations Cup moves from concept to reality - establishing national esports as a lasting part of the global competitive landscape."

Backed by a three-part funding commitment totalling $45 million, the ENC 2026 will support the esports ecosystem through player and coach prizing, club release incentives, and national team development. ENC 2026 will include $20 million in prize money, which will be paid directly to players and coaches across 16 titles. Additionally, the EWCF will provide $5 million in club incentives for esports clubs that release their professional players to participate in the ENC, with rewards tied directly to their players' performance at the event. The EWCF will also provide $20 million through the previously announced ENC Development Fund to support official national team partners with logistics, travel, programme operations, national team marketing and the long-term growth of national team pathways.