Qualification for Street Fighter 6 at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 combines direct invites through a new National Team Ranking system (top 12 nations), regional qualifiers across ten regions with a double-elimination format, and wildcard slots for two nations.

The competition uses a 4-on-4 Team Battle format, with each match containing four 1v1 games and a different player in each game; if the score is tied 2-2, a sudden-death tiebreaker decides the winner.

Japan is highlighted as a traditional offline powerhouse in Street Fighter, with strong competitors from the Americas and Europe as well, suggesting potential upsets driven by national pride.

Direct invites are earned from events from early 2025 through June 28, 2026, and each national team includes four players plus a captain; top three players from each nation across events contribute to the nation’s points, including EVO Vegas 2026.

Regional qualifiers run from late June to early July, with regional winners securing a slot for their nation and a place on the national roster; ten regional slots cover regions worldwide, including North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

Invited nations and Wildcards are composed of the top World Warrior Ranking player plus the top three from the National Team Ranking; if a nation lacks enough players, roster fillers may be added with ENC approval.

The Esports Nations Cup 2026 will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 18 to 22, featuring Street Fighter 6 and an $880,000 prize pool across 24 national teams.

The group stage consists of four round-robin groups of six teams; the top four from each group advance to a 16-team single-elimination playoff, with matches played as best-of-four and the grand final as best-of-eight.