Apex Legends joins lineup for Esports Nations Cup 2026

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) today announced Apex Legends as the latest of 16 titles where teams and players from 40 countries/ territories will compete in at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC).

The event is set to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 through 29, 2026. Forty teams will battle it out in total, with a 20-team match point final poised to deliver another epic conclusion to an Apex Legends tournament in Riyadh, with the city having a history of delivering unpredictable events. 

I was at the press event where Electronic Arts’ Respawn Entertainment shadow dropped Apex Legends, launching the game out of complete secrecy. It was a big hit, and I’d like to think that Vince Zampella, former CEO of Respawn and EVP at EA — who tragically passed away in December — would be proud at how much the game’s audience has grown.

Here’s everything you need to know about Apex Legends at ENC 2026:

SCHEDULE AND FORMAT

• The Apex Legends tournament at ENC will begin on November 26, 2026, and will conclude with the finals on November 29, 2026.
• The first stage will consist of 40 teams competing in a group stage, featuring four groups of 10 teams, competing in a round robin format where every group will face each other in a six-match series. 
• The top 20 teams from the group stage will advance to the finals. 
• The finals will consist of 20 teams competing in a match point final, meaning a team will need to earn enough points to activate match point, and then win a game to be crowned champions. There is no limit on the amount of matches that could be played. 

RANKING SYSTEM AND QUALIFIER INFO

• Teams from 40 countries/territories will compete at the Apex Legends event at ENC 2026:
  • The 20 highest-ranked countries/territories, based on cumulative Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) Championship Points from all eligible players from the relevant country/territory, will be guaranteed representation at the ENC.
    • The cut-off date for ALGS Championship Points will be July 12, 2026.
  • 18 further teams will qualify directly from regional Online Qualifiers
  • 2 teams will come from Wildcard slots
• Which team represents each country/territory, both for invited and qualifying participants, will be decided via the Online Qualifiers, which take place on August 1-2, 2026. The highest placing roster per country/territory will earn the right to represent their country/territory at ENC.
  • Any team will only be able to feature a maximum of two players from their ALGS Year 6 Split 1 roster, meaning we will see new faces compete together at this event.
• Representation per region through the Online Qualifiers will be limited by slot allocation, with slots to ENC split as follows:
  • Americas (6 slots)
  • Europe + Middle East + Africa (9)
  • Asia Pacific North (0)
    • South Korea and Japan will be invited through the ALGS Championship Ranking, and an  online qualifier will be held solely to determine the rosters for both countries.
  • Asia Pacific South (3)

APEX LEGENDS AT THE ESPORTS WORLD CUP

The Esports World Cup 2025 hosted the ALGS Year 5 Midseason Playoffs, with the top Clubs from the first half of the season competing in Riyadh for the Midseason championship. In yet another tense match point final, a year after the exciting 13-game final in 2024, VK Gaming emerged as the Midseason champions after nine games. They almost pulled it off in just eight, finishing second in the penultimate match; but instead of crumbling after coming so close, they bounced back immediately with a dominant 13-kill win to secure the championship. 

The ALGS Year 6 Split 1 Playoffs will be hosted at the EWC 2026 from July 7 through July 11, 2026.

In total, 23 countries/territories were represented at ALGS Year 5 Midseason Playoffs at EWC 2025.