eSports

India qualifies for Rocket League at Esports Nations Cup 2026

Published

22 minutes ago

July 22, 2026

india-qualifies-for-rocket-league-at-esports-nations-cup-2026

India has qualified for Rocket League at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026, securing one of three Asia Pacific Regional Qualifier spots for the main event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The qualified roster is Abhai Ponna (Abscrazy), Karthik Raghunandan (Karvin), Aditeya Srivastav (Riyal), with Jayanth Engineer (Jay) listed as substitute. The team is coached by Nirjhar Mitra (Jocse), appointed by NODWIN Gaming, India’s National Team Partner (NTP) for ENC 2026.

India opened the APAC double-elimination qualifier with a 3-0 win over Sri Lanka in the upper bracket quarterfinals, then dropped to the lower bracket after a 1-4 loss to Maldives in the upper bracket semifinals. The team then beat Hong Kong 3-1 in the lower bracket semifinal and Bangladesh 4-1 in the lower bracket final to clinch qualification.

Rocket League at ENC 2026 is scheduled for November 2 to 8 and will feature 48 national teams in 3v3 competition for a prize pool of USD 1.32 million (~INR 12.5 crore). The organiser said 24 nations and territories were invited via ENC Rankings based on roster player performances across official Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) competitions, with 21 additional teams qualifying through regional online qualifiers; the United Arab Emirates receives a Host Region Wildcard, and two Solidarity Wildcard slots are due to be announced at the end of August.

Commenting on the result, coach Nirjhar Mitra aka Jocse said, “This qualification reflects the commitment the players have shown over the past few months. They remained focused on continuous improvement, embraced every challenge, and delivered when it mattered. Representing India at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup is a privilege, and we will use the time ahead to sharpen every aspect of our game and compete with confidence against the world’s best.”

The press release also said India is now set to be represented in six titles at ENC 2026: Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Chess, Honor of Kings, Rocket League, Trackmania, and VALORANT. India’s MOBA Legends: 5v5! squad remains in contention for a direct invite and, if required, will play in regional qualifiers scheduled for August 15 to 16.

The post India qualifies for Rocket League at Esports Nations Cup 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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eSports

PUBG MOBILE confirms 31 teams for Esports Nations Cup 2026 in Riyadh

Published

12 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

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124 countries and territories registered for selection; the 32nd “Solidarity” Wildcard slot is still to be confirmed.

PUBG MOBILE has confirmed 31 of the 32 national teams for PUBG MOBILE at the Esports Nations Cup 2026, scheduled for November 3-8 in Riyadh. The publisher said 124 countries and territories registered and submitted official rosters for the selection process. The event will play for a $1.32 million USD prize pool.

The confirmed lineup includes 14 teams advancing from nine regional qualifiers: Indonesia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Jordan, KSA, France, Italy, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Mauritania and Madagascar.

A further 12 teams are invited via ENC Rankings: Türkiye, Mongolia, Brazil, Pakistan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal, South Africa, United States, Ukraine and Argentina. Four Special Invite teams—China, South Korea, India and Japan—also join the Group Stage.

Two Wildcard slots are listed: Kuwait as the Host Region representative, and one “TBD (Solidarity)” team still to be confirmed. From November 3, teams will be split into four groups of eight for a round-robin Group Stage, with the top four from each group advancing to the Grand Finals.

The Esports Nations Cup was announced in August 2025 as a multi-title national-team competition, with future international iterations planned, according to the company. PUBG MOBILE also claimed it is the “#1 game title at the Esports Nations Cup in terms of participating countries and territories,” citing the 124 registered countries and territories for its selection process.

The post PUBG MOBILE confirms 31 teams for Esports Nations Cup 2026 in Riyadh appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Awards

Dplus Kia sweep Karmine Corp 3-0 to win League of Legends at Esports World Cup 2026

Published

2 days ago

July 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

dplus-kia-sweep-karmine-corp-3-0-to-win-league-of-legends-at-esports-world-cup-2026

Dplus Kia won League of Legends at Esports World Cup 2026 on July 19 in Paris, sweeping home team Karmine Corp 3-0 in the Grand Final. The result gives the South Korean roster its first LAN tournament win of the 2026 season and, per the event, its first major international trophy since 2020. Dplus Kia earned $600,000 and 1,000 points toward the Club Championship.

Dplus Kia’s run started in the Group Stage lower bracket after a loss to AG AL. The team then posted consecutive best-of-three sweeps over FURIA and G2 Esports to reach playoffs, followed by a quarterfinal upset of Bilibili Gaming and a semifinal win over Esports World Cup 2025 winners Gen.G.

Karmine Corp reached the final after a comeback win over T1 in the semifinals, setting up an all-underdog championship match on home soil. In the final, Dplus Kia controlled game one, edged a close game two after a late Karmine Corp mistake, and closed out the series 3-0.

“It’s been five years since the international stage, and I’m so proud of myself, and I’m just so excited right now,” said Heo “ShowMaker” Su following the grand final.

Sin “Smash” Guem-jae was named SONY MVP and received an additional $25,000. The 19-year old finished the tournament with an 8.1 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) statistic. “I’m so excited right now, I’m so happy,” Smash said, after receiving the award. “It’s also my birthday in Korea, this is a phenomenal birthday.” Earlier on July 19, Gen.G secured third place over T1 with a 2-1 win, collecting $220,000.

The post Dplus Kia sweep Karmine Corp 3-0 to win League of Legends at Esports World Cup 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.