Esports Nations Cup Adds Dota 2 To List of Games

Esports Nations Cup Adds Dota 2 To List of Games

Otomo

29 Jan, 2026, 00:35

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Last updated: 29 Jan, 2026, 00:39

Saudi Arabia continues to invest in the Esports ecosystem. The yearly EWC has become one of the biggest events of the year for over 20 titles and this year, a new tournament will be introduced.

The Esports Nations Cup aims to bring countries together to compete across 16 titles. Two have already been announced, and now Dota 2 joins the list of games being played.


Esports Nations Cup will include 32 Dota 2 teams

Team Spirit is back and got the first premium tournament in 2025.
Team Spirit is now the only two-time Esports World Cup champion. — Credit: Twitter (@EWC_EN)

One thing that stands out is that this tournament will include a huge roster of teams. Most Dota 2 LANs have between 12-16 teams. Even EWC, with it's giant roster of 24 participants pales in comparison to Esports Nations intended 32 team list.

To make it to the event, 16 teams will be directly invited to play. Another 14 teams will join through qualifiers. There will be 8 qualifiers, with slots allocated per region.

  • North America (1 slot)

  • South America (2)

  • Western Europe (2)

  • Eastern Europe (2)

  • Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia (2)

  • Central and South Africa (1)

  • South and East Asia (2)

  • Southeast Asia and Oceania (2)

The qualifiers for al regions begin on June 16 and will conclude by July 5th. The teams that make it to the main event will compete for a whopping USD $1,500,000. The tournament itself will begin on November 2nd and conclude by November 8th, for seven days of Dota 2 action.

Dota 2 format at Esports Nations Cup

Format used for Esports Nations Cup Dota 2
It's shaping up to be the biggest national event in Esports. (Credit: EWC Foundation).

The 32 competing teams will firstly be split into 4 groups of 8 teams. They will compete in a round-robin with the top four in each group advancing. All matches in group stage will be best-of-one.

The top 16 teams make it to playoffs in a single elimination bracket. All matches here will be best-of-three, with a best-of-five grand final.

With the tournament months away, there is still information to be released. ENC has announced that more details will come out in the next few weeks. So be sure to check Strafe or ENC announcement to know more!

READ MORE: Dota 2 Patch 7.40c Brings Largo Into Captain's Mode!

Featured Image Source: EWC Foundation

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