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Chess.com, MOONTON Games, and SNK join the ENC alongside Electronic Arts, Krafton, Tencent, and Ubisoft, to strengthen the foundation of the world’s first international, nation-based competition at this scale

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced the addition of Chess.com, MOONTON Games and SNK for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), a landmark tournament where the best esports players in the world will compete for the honor of representing their countries. The ENC introduces national pride to the global esports stage in a recurring format and is the first event of its kind at this scale.

Chess.com, MOONTON Games and SNK join as Official Publishers, alongside Founding Publishers and video game companies EA, Krafton, Tencent, and Ubisoft – the core partners developing the foundational structure of the ENC – bringing with them their iconic titles, global reach, and player communities to enhance the first Esports Nations Cup.

The three new publishers and all forthcoming Official Publishers will co-design qualification paths and competition formats for their respective titles — ensuring integrity, competitive relevance, and a consistent global structure.

The EWCF and its Founding Publishers continue to co-develop the ENC to establish the tournament’s foundational framework, structure, and format from inception, representing a deeper level of strategic partnership and commitment than other publishers.

“By partnering closely with publishers, we can make the Esports Nations Cup truly player-centric, and give players the opportunity to represent their country in the games that define their careers,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “With the seven partners announced so far as close collaborators, we can activate players worldwide and deliver a Nations Cup that feels earned for players and real for fans, and build a stage that national teams can aspire to for years to come.”

As the newest addition to the EWCF portfolio, the Esports Nations Cup builds on the momentum of the Esports World Cup — the world’s largest multi-title esports event — and extends its mission to a new layer of global competition. While the Esports World Cup unites the best clubs, the ENC unlocks a new frontier powered by national identity and regional representation.

The ENC will feature national teams from all major regions – including North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Oceania – competing in both team-based and solo-player formats. A multi-layered qualification model will balance competitiveness and inclusivity: combining global rankings, regional qualifiers, and wildcard entries, including solidarity placements, to ensure a broad and representative competitive stage in every game.

The Esports Nations Cup will debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2026, before moving to a rotating host model, bringing national esports teams to fans and cultures worldwide. Held every two years, the ENC will provide a dependable structure for players and esports organisations, encouraging long-term investment in national team programmes.

Additional information about the Esports Nations Cup will be released in the coming weeks.

The post Esports Nations Cup Confirms New Official Publishing Partners appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Belatra, a leading developer of innovative online slots, is welcoming players back to the American wilderness with Big Wild Buffalo 2 – the follow-up to the runaway success Big Wild Buffalo.

Set on the vast American prairies, surrounded by stone canyons, and majestic mountains, Big Wild Buffalo 2 is a 6×4 game that features Wild Symbols with Multipliers, Free Games and the popular Hot Mode. A moving soundtrack helps build an atmosphere of power, nature, and freedom — steady drumbeats rise with wins.

The Wild Buffalo symbol can substitute for any regular symbol and appears on reels two, three, four, and five. If it lands partially, the reel automatically nudges, and the symbol expands to cover the entire reel. Each time the nudge happens, the Wild’s multiplier by +1. If multiple Wild Buffalo symbols appear, their multipliers are added together. Should a Wild land on adjacent reels, they merge and their multipliers multiply. Additionally, in Free Games the merged Wilds become sticky and remain until the end of the entire feature.

Free Games are activated by three or more Scatters landing in any position. Three Scatters returns eight Free Games, four award nine, five award 10, and hitting six Scatters activates 10 Free Games in Hot Mode. During Free Games, Scatters continue to appear and award additional free spins – the max is 100 Free Games. Free Games also has a global multiplier in play that in standard mode starts x1 and increases whenever a special portal appears: a buffalo emerges from it and boosts the global multiplier by +1. All winnings during Free Games are multiplied by the current global multiplier.

In Hot Mode the global multiplier begins between x2 and x10, and it continues to grow whenever a portal with a buffalo appears on one or more reels.

The Hold-and-Win Bonus triggers when six or more special symbols appear on the reels, including Credit symbols, Donors, Magnets, or Cloning symbols. There are also Extra Bonuses and the Buy Bonus for those eager to jump into the action sooner.

Misha Voinich, Head of Business Development at Belatra, said: “Big Wild Buffalo 2 delivers an unforgettable adventure across the American wilderness that’s enhanced by stunning visuals, thrilling mechanics, and huge win potential. Each spin brings the power and freedom of the wild right to the reels, making it a must-play for both fans of the original game and those just discovering the series.”

The post Belatra grows portfolio with the launch of Big Wild Buffalo 2 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.