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| (Image Source: eSports Insider/eSports World Cup Foundation) |
The eSports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) and Ubisoft Nadeo recently announced a multi-year partnership that will bring Trackmania to the eSports World Cup (EWC), set to return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this summer. The addition of Trackmania expands the EWC’s 2026 multi-genre line-up by introducing a racing eSport that bridges gaming and global sport. Built around time-trial racing and round-based elimination with no upgrades or randomness, races are often decided by thousandths of a second, rewarding mechanical skill, rapid adaptation, and consistency under pressure.
“Trackmania has always been one of gaming’s purest level playing fields: same car, same track, no RNG - it is all about precision, memory, and nerve. Giving it a truly global eSports stage with a world-class production and a significant prize pool is a watershed for a community that’s spent more than two decades shaving thousands off community-built tracks. Together with Ubisoft Nadeo, we will connect players, from grassroots to pros, to a world final, and turn the invisible drama of splits and ghost replays into an experience anyone can feel, as anyone at home can load the same map and measure the gap for themselves. This is Trackmania stepping into the pinnacle of eSports, validating its culture, attracting pro teams, and inviting a new generation to fall in love with competitive racing at its most honest,” said EWCF Chief Games Officer Fabian Scheuermann. “Being selected for the EWC, the world’s largest eSports initiative, marks a major milestone for Trackmania. The game was conceived as the purest expression of solo competition, where players compete against the moment itself rather than direct opponents. Bringing the game in that spirit to the EWC stage honors its strong legacy and opens new roads to success for players from around the world,” said Ubisoft Nadeo Managing Director Florent Castelnerac. Trackmania officially completes the 24-game line-up for the EWC 2026 which includes Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, Counter-Strike 2, Crossfire, Dota 2, EA Sports FC 26, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, Fortnite, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Overwatch 2, PUBG: Battlegrounds, PUBG Mobile, Rocket League, Street Fighter 6, TEKKEN 8, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege X, Teamfight Tactics, and VALORANT. Trackmania at EWC 2026 will feature 32 players competing in a fast-paced championship format for a $500,000 prize pool. In the group stage, players will race in four-player lobbies using a double-elimination format. The top eight players from each group will advance to the playoffs with 16 competitors progressing to single-elimination matches to determine the Trackmania champion in Riyadh. Meanwhile, Trackmania is set to take the spotlight at the inaugural eSports Nations Cup (ENC), bringing its signature high-speed precision racing to a global stage where players compete for their nations and a share of US$250,000 prize pool. The Trackmania ENC Tournament, slated to run on November 16-22, 2026, features a Cup Mode format with 1v1v1v1 races, where 32 competitors battle in fast-paced heats to earn points in order to secure playoff spots.
Through a new update released last January 26, Trackmania players can now have the opportunity to compete for a chance to qualify for the EWC and ENC tournaments this year. The game's Black Tracks from the official seasonal campaigns, inspired by previous esport routes from the Trackmania competitive circuit, will now serve as competitive tracks for the EWC and ENC qualifications and competitions. This direct path will allow regular players to progress more easily and aim for top-level play across both PC and console platforms. These offer a visual identity inspired by different countries, bringing a unique flavor to each race. Trackmania’s qualification pathway to the EWC and ENC 2026 will include an open in-game qualifier, offering a direct route to Riyadh: the Trackmania Elite Cup. Starting February 14, the Elite Cup consists of 10 Cups of the Week (COTW) on Black Tracks during the Winter and Spring seasons. Each of the 10 Black COTWs awards points to the top 64 players in Server Type 1. The sum of the top 5 results will count for the Elite Cup Ranking. The top 8 players will qualify for the EWC while the top 16 players (one per nation) will qualify for the ENC. These are open to everyone with no registration or prior qualifications required and playing all 10 Black COTW to be eligible for the Elite Cup Ranking, which will close on May 31, 2026, is not mandatory. The COTWs are held every Saturday at 5:00 pm CET. For more information about the COTW, visit the Trackmania website. Aside from the Winter Black Tracks, the Spring Black Tracks will also be used in both EWC and ENC online qualifiers. On the other hand, the Trackmania regional online qualifiers for ENC 2026, taking place on June 19-21, 2026, will feature double-elimination brackets, hosted in each of the following regions: Americas (3 slots to ENC), Western Europe (3 slots), Eastern Europe (2 slots), Middle East + Africa (2 slots), Asia (2 slots), and Oceania (2 slots). Across direct invites and online qualifiers, a maximum of two players can make it to ENC. If a nation already has one player directly invited through the ranking, only one more player from the same nation can qualify through the online qualifiers. If no player is directly qualified, a nation can still earn two slots through the qualifiers.
The eSports World Cup 2026 will once again unite gaming and eSports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next EWC Club Champion. The tournament’s unique cross-game format will reward Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool across a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together eSports’ best teams, players and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of eSports. Meanwhile, the eSports Nations Cup will feature the world’s best players competing not for their clubs, but for their countries and territories, across a lineup of leading eSports titles. Built in collaboration with game partners, clubs, and eSports organizations, the ENC establishes the first recurring, large-scale platform for national teams in esSports. Beyond competition, it aims to fuel fandom, inspire heroes, and provide sustainable pathways for nations, players, and partners to grow within the global eSports ecosystem.
