KeSPA and Esports Foundation Resolve Dispute, South Korea Confirmed for ENC 2026
- Sagar Mankar
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
South Korea and the Esports Nations Cup 2026 are back on track. KeSPA and the Esports Foundation have confirmed a renewed partnership, ending a dispute that had threatened to keep one of esports' strongest national programs out of the tournament entirely.
The two parties issued a joint statement confirming that KeSPA will serve as South Korea's National Team Partner for ENC 2026.
The agreement comes after a falling out that went public in late April, when reports emerged that the Esports Foundation had allegedly interfered with KeSPA's independent player selection process, leading the Foundation to formally end the original partnership.
According to the joint statement, the renewed agreement is built on what both sides describe as "a shared vision for the long-term growth of esports through structured international competition."
"With alignment on values, operational standards, and national team structure, and in recognition of KeSPA’s established expertise and authority in Korea, the two parties have agreed that KeSPA will serve as National Team Partner and lead Korea's national team selection."
Crucially, the selection process appears to have been preserved. Korea's national coaches and players will continue to be selected with "professional integrity," in accordance with the partners' regulations and competition standards.
South Korea will now compete under the official "Team Korea of Esports" banner at ENC 2026. The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee had made clear that any team assembled outside the official system could not use the Korean flag, the Team Korea name, or national representative status.
This is a meaningful reversal from where things stood just weeks ago. The coaching nominations that had been put on hold, including former KT Rolster coach Kang "Hirai" Dong-hoon for League of Legends and NongShim RedForce coach Kim "SilKanoN" Gyeong-min for VALORANT, could now potentially move forward under the reinstated structure.
The ENC 2026 is scheduled to run from November 2 to November 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event covers 16 game titles, operates on a $45 million budget, and features a $20 million prize pool.