South Korea Out of Esports Nations Cup 2026 After Alleged Player Selection "Interference"

Image: LOL player Faker and ENC 2026 logo

South Korea has reportedly parted ways with the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026.

The Korea Esports Association (KeSPA), the country's official governing body for esports, was initially appointed as South Korea's national team partner for ENC 2026 back in March. The partnership, however, did not last long.

According to reports by Sports Seoul, the fallout came down to a "fundamental disagreement" over player selection. Saudi-based The Esports Foundation, which organizes the ENC, allegedly pushed to have "specific" high-profile players included in South Korea's roster, stepping directly into a process that KeSPA had always managed on a "merit-based" system built around competitive results.

"The Esports Nations Cup did not align with the values and direction of the national team selection system we have built," a KeSPA representative stated. "It is regrettable that we can no longer continue our collaboration."

An unnamed Korean esports official was even more blunt in their assessment: "Interfering with the composition of a national team is crossing the line. Every country has its own system, and this is a sign of disrespect."

Before the split became public, KeSPA had already submitted coaching nominations. Former KT Rolster coach Kang "Hirai" Dong-hoon had been named as South Korea's League of Legends coach, and NongShim RedForce coach Kim "SilKanoN" Gyeong-min had been tapped for VALORANT. Both of those appointments are now on hold.

In its response, the Esports Foundation acknowledged the split and maintained that the commitment to South Korean participation in ENC 2026 is "unchanged".

As for who the Esports Foundation may have wanted included, no official statement has confirmed any specific player. Community speculation, however, has largely pointed to T1's Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok. Given Faker's stature as South Korea's most recognizable esports figure globally, his inclusion would carry enormous marketing weight for a debut event of this scale.

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. It was originally set to feature over 100 countries and was widely framed as esports' answer to the Olympics.

The original roster submission deadline of April 30 has been extended to May 10.