The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has added Counter-Strike 2 to the lineup of the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026, setting the stage for the largest open qualification program in CS history. Running November 2-29 in Riyadh, the event will see 24 national teams clash at an unprecedented scale, with over 15,000 players across 3,000+ teams vying for a shot through national and regional qualifiers.
CS2, one of the most-watched esports titles with over 584.7 million global hours viewed according to Esports Charts, brings massive national representation to ENC. For the first time, countries typically limited to one or two players at club events can field full national rosters, turning local rivalries into international showdowns.
Tournament Format and Schedule
The CS2 event kicks off November 10 and wraps with the playoff Grand Final on November 15. The first stage features 24 teams in a round-robin group stage across four groups of six. Top four from each group advance to a 16-team single-elimination playoff bracket. Matches run best-of-one in groups, best-of-three in playoffs, and a best-of-five Grand Final for ultimate bragging rights.
Qualifiers run July 6-19 via a new CS2 National Team Ranking system, determining 24 slots. This ranking aggregates Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points from the top five players per nation – shared equally from club performances – with a June 1 cutoff. FACEIT Elo fills gaps for unranked regions.
National Qualifiers hit 96 countries across 10 regions, with single-elimination brackets offering 32-64 team slots per nation:
- North America (8 qualifiers)
- South America (8)
- Western Europe (16)
- Eastern Europe (16)
- Middle East + Central Asia (16)
- North Africa (4)
- South + Central Africa (8)
- South + East Asia (8)
- Southeast Asia (8)
- Oceania (4)
Winners advance to Regional Qualifiers (double-elimination), awarding ENC spots as follows:
- North America (3), South America (3)
- Western Europe (4), Eastern Europe (4)
- Middle East + Central Asia (3)
- North Africa (1), South + Central Africa (1)
- South + East Asia (2), Southeast Asia (2)
- Oceania (1)
As a VRS Tier 2 event, national rosters must share citizenship, with a max of three players from any single VRS-ranked club. Clubs releasing core players can earn VRS points through ENC performances.
Building on EWC Momentum
CS2’s ENC debut follows its dramatic EWC 2025 run, where national lineups stole the show in the Grand Final: an all-Turkish Aurora Gaming vs. all-Mongolian The MongolZ, with The MongolZ sweeping the Club Championship trophy. EWC 2026 expands CS2 further with on-site open qualifiers, a 32-team double-elimination group stage, and 16-team playoffs.
This ENC addition cements CS2’s place in Saudi’s growing esports ecosystem, promising grassroots hype from qualifiers to Riyadh’s main stage. National pride is officially on the line, get ready for anthems, flags, and clutch plays that unite countries.