The Esports World Cup Foundation has now said yes to Dota 2. It is the third game for the first Esports Nations Cup. This cup starts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2026.
This news means the game from Valve, which is a team battle game, joins the list for the cup. There will be 32 teams from different countries. They play to show their country’s pride, not just for their group or club.
Every team picks the top five players from their country in Dota 2. They fight in group rounds and then in knockout games to find the first winners of this cup for Dota 2.
Dota 2 Setup and Times for Esports Nations Cup
The Dota 2 part of the event goes from November 2 to November 8, 2026. That is the first week of the cup in Riyadh.
It starts with groups where every team plays all others in their group. There are four groups with eight teams each. Then the best 16 countries go to knockout rounds where one loss means out.
- Group games: One game wins it
- Knockout games but not the last: Up to three games
- Last game: Up to five games
Just two teams reach the last day. They play up to five games to see which country wins the first Dota 2 prize in this cup.
How Countries Get In and Rank for Dota 2
Thirty-two country teams will play in Dota 2 at the 2026 cup. They get in three ways.
- 16 get straight spots from the Dota 2 Country Team Rank
- 14 come from online tryouts in their areas
- 2 get wildcard spots
The Country Team Rank comes from big Dota 2 events. It starts counting from June 8, 2025. Players get points for how well they do in those events. Points split even among teammates. Each country’s score is from the top five players they pick.
The rank stops on June 7, 2026. After that, the straight spots are set.
Area online tryouts happen from June 16 to July 5, 2026. Dates will be set later. They use two-loss-out setups in these areas.
- North America (1 spot)
- 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)
Dota 2 now sits with Trackmania and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang as games for the 2026 cup. There will be 16 games in all for the event.
