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League of Legends Added to Esports Nations Cup 2026 Program

The organizers of the Esports Nations Cup 2026 have announced the inclusion of League of Legends in the prestigious esports tournament's program. The competition will take place from November 21 to 29, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Thirty-two national teams will participate in the League of Legends tournament. Half of them—16 teams—will receive direct invitations from the organizers. Another 14 teams will be determined through regional qualifiers, and the two remaining slots will be awarded via special invites.

The competition format is designed to ensure maximum intrigue and intense competition. In the group stage, participants will be divided into four groups of six teams. Within each group, a round-robin system will be used—each team will play against every other team. Following this stage, the top eight teams will advance to the playoffs.

The playoff matches will follow a best-of-3 format (first to two wins), adding drama to the decisive encounters and giving teams a chance to recover after an unsuccessful start.

The qualifying matches are scheduled for July 19–21. They will be held using a Double Elimination system, meaning teams will have a chance to continue fighting even after one loss. This approach increases the value of every match and provides more opportunities for teams to prove themselves.

The total prize pool for the discipline will be $1.5 million USD. The significant prize amount underscores the tournament's high status and is expected to motivate teams to give their utmost effort.

The Esports Nations Cup 2026 is held as a competition for national teams—participants represent their countries, not clubs. This approach gives the tournament a special atmosphere of patriotism and adds significance to every victory.

In addition to League of Legends, the program includes games from leading publishers: Electronic Arts, Krafton, Tencent, and Ubisoft. This makes the championship a multidisciplinary event capable of attracting a broad audience of fans from different genres.