Esports Foundation and KeSPA come to agreement, Korean teams will be present at ENC

The Esports Foundation (EF) and Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) have settled a dispute that could have seen South Korean players absent from the inaugural Esports Nations Cup in Riyadh later this year.

In a pair of statements released on Saturday, May 9, both KeSPA and the EF outlined a path for a continued partnership with the EF seemingly agreeing that KeSPA would oversee the selection of Korean players at the ENC.

KeSPA outlined its statement in posts across social media and forwarded to several journalists. In it, KeSPA stated that it will lead the selection of the Korean national team as the National Team Partner.

The organization, one of the oldest and most storied governing bodies in all of esports, had seemingly fallen into dispute with the EF over this very facet of the ENC event. In every other international and regional competition, KeSPA holds sway over Korean national team selection.

The ENC seemingly sought to undermine this, with some speculating that it wanted to make sure big market teams and names, such as Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok and T1. However, this was not directly confirmed by either party.

In their own statement, sent directly to journalists, the EF echoed KeSPA, stressing that the Korean participants would also perform under the official “Team Korea of Esports” banner:

“KeSPA and the Esports Foundation have agreed to a continued partnership and a joint path forward for the Esports Nations Cup 2026, built on a shared vision to support the long-term growth of esports through structured international competition…

KeSPA and the Esports Foundation have agreed to a continued partnership and a joint path forward for the Esports Nations Cup 2026, built on a shared vision to support the long-term growth of esports through structured international competition.”KeSPA and the Esports Foundation have agreed to a continued partnership and a joint path forward for the Esports Nations Cup 2026, built on a shared vision to support the long-term growth of esports through structured international competition.”

The statements mark the end of a dispute that could have undermined the legitimacy of the fledgling ENC. Korea is one of the heartlands of esports, hosting the oldest esports scenes in the world, and their regional leagues are at the pinnacle of many titles.

Without the Korean contingent, the level of competition at the ENC would be highly suspect. And with China also absent, and the roster-lock tomorrow, it seems that some key players in the world of esports will still be missing from the international competition