Esports Nations Cup adds Rainbow Six: Siege to 2026 tournament lineup

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The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) said Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege as the latest of 16 titles that national teams and players will compete in at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC).

The esports event is set to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 through 29, 2026. A tota of 24 national teams, each comprising the best Rainbow Six Siege players from each nation, will compete across a group stage and playoffs, until one team remains at the top of the podium.

Here’s everything you need to know about Rainbow Six Siege at ENC 2026:

SCHEDULE AND FORMAT

  • The Rainbow Six Siege tournament at ENC will begin on November 18, 2026, and will conclude with the playoff final on November 22, 2026. 
  • The first stage will consist of 24 teams competing in a round-robin group stage, featuring four groups of six teams.
  • The second stage will consist of 16 teams competing in a single-elimination playoff bracket.
  • All group stage matches will be best-of-one. All playoff matches (excluding the grand final) will be best-of-three. Finally, the grand final will be played in a best-of-five.

RANKING SYSTEM AND QUALIFIER INFO

  • 24 national teams will compete at the Rainbow Six Siege event at ENC 2026:
    • 12 teams will be directly invited based on the Siege National Team Ranking
    • 10 teams will be able to qualify through regional online qualifiers
    • 2 teams will come from Wildcard slots
  • The Esports Nations Cup will determine its direct invites via the Siege National Team Ranking that takes into account official Six Invitational points standings and EWC 2025 results, with points awarded through official Rainbow Six competition, including Regional Leagues, Majors, and the Six Invitational. The national ranking will then accumulate the points of the top five players on the submitted national roster. The cut-off date for the national ranking is May 17.
  • The Rainbow Six Siege qualifiers will take place May 29-31. Qualifiers will be double-elimination brackets, hosted in each of the following regions, each awarding two slots to the ENC Finals:
    • North America (2 slots)
    • South America (2)
    • Europe (2)
    • Middle East + North Africa (2)
    • Asia (2)