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Vietnam is set to participate in the 2026 Esports Nations Cup (ENC), a global national team tournament featuring one of the largest prize pools in competitive gaming history.
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The Vietnam team that won the PUBG Mobile event at the 2026 Asian Esports Championship in Jinju, South Korea. Photo by VIRESA |
Held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from Nov. 2 to 29, the ENC will feature 16 esports: Dota 2, Rocket League, chess, PUBG Mobile, Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, PUBG Battlegrounds, Fatal Fury, EA Sports FC, Rainbow Six Siege, Street Fighter 6, Trackmania, League of Legends (LoL), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), Honor of Kings, and Apex Legends.
The ENC boasts a staggering US$45 million prize pool, second only to the Esports World Cup (EWC). Among the prizes, $20 million will be paid directly to players and coaches based on performance. An additional $5 million will be distributed among the players' professional clubs, while $20 million is allocated to support local ecosystem development, travel expenses, and national team activities.
The highest individual prizes of $1.5 million each will be allocated to Dota 2, Valorant, LoL and MLBB. Each participating player is guaranteed at least $3,500, while the runner-up and champion in each event will receive $30,000 and $50,000 per player, respectively.
Organized by the Esports Foundation, the ENC expands upon the EWC, providing a stable structure to guide long-term investments in national team programs. Teams from five major regions, North America, South America, North Africa, Asia, and Oceania, will compete in qualifying rounds to earn a spot at the finals.
Organizers have appointed over 700 elite coaches from more than 100 countries and territories to prepare for the tournament. Selected from 90 leading global esports organizations, these world champions and established stars are tasked with building rosters and shaping tournament strategy.
In Vietnam, former GAM Esports star Vo "Naul" Thanh Luan will lead the LoL team. He will face fierce competition, including Canadian veteran Dylan Falco and rising stars like France's Quentin "Zeph" Viguei and Morocco's Jonas "Memento" Elmarghichi.
For PUBG Mobile, traditionally one of Vietnam's strongest sports, coaching duties are handed to Le "DjChip" Duc Anh, runner-up of the 2022 PUBG Nations Cup. He will compete against prominent international coaches such as Chile's Camila "Mia" Lopez and Poland's Nikol "Kehayoyo" Kehayova.
Other Vietnamese squads will be guided by John "Theo" Eusebio (MLBB), Duong "Titi" Tin (Honor of Kings) and Phan "Kawa" Anh Huy (Valorant).
As the national partner of Esports Foundation, the Vietnam Recreational and Electronic sports Association (VIRESA) is managing the teams at the ENC. VIRESA secretary general Cao Thi Thu Phuong views the ENC as a great opportunity to elevate Vietnam's professional standards and develop the national team system in a practical manner.
Esports Foundation also recognizes Vietnam as one of the world's most dynamic esports markets. National team relations director Hans Jagnow attributed this success to the country's young, digitally savvy population, a strong mobile gaming sector, and a deep passion for traditional games such as LoL.
According to Phuong, esports is emerging as a crucial growth driver for Vietnam's sports economy, with its domestic market value projected to hit $10 million and continue growing steadily in the coming years.
