Esports Nations Cup seeks new Korea partner after KeSPA split

The Esports Foundation has told the Korea e‑Sports Association it will not continue as South Korea’s National Team Partner for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 in Riyadh. The foundation is in talks with Korean stakeholders to appoint a replacement and says it remains committed to including Korean players at the November event.

The foundation said the decision followed discussions and reflected KeSPA’s heavy operational workload this year, particularly its commitments to the Asian Games in September 2026. It cited challenges meeting ENC timelines as a reason for seeking a partner that can manage event preparations.

Other accounts suggested a disagreement over roster composition played a role. The foundation rejected claims that it interfered with player selection and said selection duties rest with national team managers and coaches.

In a statement, the foundation said: “A few days ago, the Esports Foundation informed KeSPA that we would not be moving forward together as our national partner for the Esports Nations Cup 2026. We recognise this is a demanding year for KeSPA given the Asian Games participation and the operational focus that brings, and we wish them every success in the busy year ahead.” The statement added the foundation’s commitment to fielding Korean players at ENC 2026 is “unchanged.”

The foundation also addressed roster selection directly: “In ENC, coach selections sit with national team managers and player selections are with the coaches; in some games or cases selections are made based on merit-based principles. International and domestic results and performance are at the core of ENC nominations to the national teams.”

Requests for comment from both organisations were unanswered at the time of publication. The foundation was asked how it would manage players from the League of Legends Korea Champions (LCK) and whether other national partners could face similar changes; no response was provided.

The Esports Nations Cup is planned as an inaugural national-team event in Riyadh in November 2026. KeSPA has long acted as South Korea’s central esports body and has coordinated national teams and domestic league relations. The Asian Games in September 2026 required substantial engagement from national esports organisations responsible for multi-sport delegation duties.

The foundation said it will begin talks with local stakeholders to identify a replacement National Team Partner to coordinate with teams, coaches and players and to finalise squad nominations ahead of the November event.