This weekend, the Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF), which is the tournament’s National Team Partner, announced the start of regional qualifiers for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 featuring *FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves*.
The selection process will take place from July 1 to July 2. Based on the results, 13 players will qualify for the main stage of the championship. Participation in the qualifiers is open to anyone who wishes to compete, and there is no limit on the number of participants from any one country.
The regional qualifying format consists of a group stage and a playoff. In the first stage, the 32 participants will be divided into four groups of eight players each, where they will compete in a round-robin format. All matches will be played in a “First to 4” (Ft4) format. The top four players from each group will advance to the playoffs.
The final stage will be held using a single-elimination format, and all matches will be played in a “First to 5” (Ft5) format.
The main tournament of the 2026 Esports Nations Cup will take place from November 12 to 15, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The total prize pool for the competition will be $250,000, and 32 representatives from various countries and territories will compete for the title.
The FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves tournament will be the first international championship in the history of the discipline to be held in a national team format. The organizers note that this approach is expected to spark new high-stakes rivalries between countries and lend each match special significance.
So far, 16 participants have already received direct invitations, while the remaining spots will be allocated based on the results of the regional qualifiers. During the final stage, all matches will be played on the PlayStation 5. The group stage will consist of four groups of eight players each, with matches played in a First to 7 (Ft7) format, after which the top 16 players will advance to the playoffs, where matches will be played in a First to 9 (Ft9) format.