USA Esports has been selected to build and send national teams representing the United States to the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) later this year in Riyadh. Their esports director, Daniel Clerke, has also been named the U.S. national team manager and will lead the team selection process.
A non-profit public charity, USA Esports was set up as a prospective national body for esports in North America, counting prominent professional esports team organizations and universities among its partners, as well as established former pro players as board directors.
USA Esports collaborated with a separate organization, the United States Esports Federation, to build up a single application to send to the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), the Saudi Arabian organization that is the primary organizer of the ENC. The first edition of the tournament will be held in November 2026, and is slated to feature 16 game titles and national teams from over 100 countries. Subsequent editions will take place every two years, in alternating locations.
Speaking to The Esports Advocate, USA Esports president and CEO Jesse Bodony said they underwent a multi-stage application process, with the EWCF requiring details on each prospect’s legal structure, national connections, and marketing plans.
“It signalled that they were taking this with a seriousness that I think was foundational not just for year one, but to be a successful, sustainable event,” he said. “Fans for the first time at this scale get to rally and get behind their country in a way that’s never quite been done before. They [the EWCF] are very invested in supporting that on a country-by-country basis.”
National team programs are supported by a $20 million ENC Development Fund, delivered annually to cover travel and logistics for participation in the tournament, as well as supporting marketing and promotional activities.
Bodony acknowledged the accelerated timeline ahead of USA Esports to recruit, train, and establish so many national rosters, especially compared to the typical two years offered by Olympic events. “We’re trying to be as rigorous and transparent,” he said, noting that every event, including the ENC, will have its own specific criteria and processes.
“We want to build an athlete selection model that’s trusted by the community, where we have our criteria and everything published.”
Bodony added that the issue of player release, or specifically, bringing salaried pro teams into nation-based competition, was one not fully solved in traditional sports, let alone esports. As well as the risk of injury or burnout, it also requires the pro team employing the player to allow the use of name, image, and likeness in an outside event.
“That doesn’t just need to be answered for [the ENC 2026], it needs to be answered in a way that supports international competition in the long term,” said Bodony. “What we said to the pro teams is we do not yet have the answer, and we won’t claim to, but as an organization, we will work in good faith with you.”
In a January announcement, the EWCF confirmed that around $5 million will be earmarked for “club incentives” for professional esports clubs that “release and enable” their professional players to participate in ENC, with rewards tied directly to the performance of their players at the event.
The ENC, as well as the separate Esports World Cup, is funded and conceived by the Saudi Arabian government. These initiatives are denounced as “sports washing,” specifically using esports and gaming competitions to divert attention and discussion away from the kingdom’s record on human rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, its military actions in Yemen, and more.
“For the ENC, we are not naive to the complexities, but our view is that you cannot have an impact from the sidelines,” said Bodony, adding that his organization wants to bring American standards of safety, inclusion, and integrity to every event they participate in, regardless of location.
“I just believe for myself, separate from the organization, that it’s important to remember that cultures shift most rapidly when cultural values are shared, not when they remain at home.”