Esports Nations Cup to feature $20m prize pool

The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced the inaugural Esports Nations Cup will feature a $20m (~£14.4m) prize pool.

The multi-national esports event taking place from November 2nd to 29th introduces a placement-based framework where every player who qualifies earns prize money in their respective title.

Overall, the Esports World Cup Foundation will commit a total of $45m (~£32.6m) to support the esports industry with prize money, incentives for esports organisations, and the development of national teams.

In addition to the $20m prize pool, $5m (~£3.6m) will be distributed to organisations that allow their players to compete in the Esports Nations Cup. Rewards are tied to player performance during the event.

If an organisation fields a player who places in the top 16, 40% of that player’s earnings from the event will be provided to the organisation as an incentive bonus. This will be separate from the amount the player has gained.

“National teams bring a powerful new layer to esports, one that is accessible, intuitive, and rooted in identity and pride,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “Our prize model is designed to keep competition fair and sustainable, rewarding performance while supporting the long-term development of players, Clubs, and national programmes.”

The remaining $20m comes from the Esports Nations Cup Development Fund, an initiative supporting the growth and development of national esports teams. Support ranges from event travel to assisting marketing programmes designed to spread the awareness of teams taking part in the event.

So far, the Esports World Cup Foundation has revealed three of the 16 titles featuring at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang will feature, due to the Foundation collaborating with MOONTON Games, which is one of the event’s publishing partners. Elsewhere, arcade racing title Trackmania joins the lineup through a deal with Ubisoft Nadeo.

On January 28th, Dota 2 became the third title featured at the Esports Nations Cup. 32 national teams will compete in the MOBA title for a chance to be crowned the first ENC champion.