Team Japan is heading to Riyadh. On June 28, 2026, Japan eliminated Hong Kong in the Upper Bracket Final of the Esports Nations Cup VALORANT 2026 Asia Qualifier, winning 2-0 in a best-of-3 series to secure one of two available spots at the main event.

Japan took the opening map, Haven, by a slim 13-11 margin before closing things out on Lotus to seal the qualification.

How Japan got here

Japan’s road to the Upper Bracket Final was considerably less stressful. The squad dispatched both Mongolia and India with identical 13-5 scorelines.

The roster that carried Japan through the qualifier features Meiy, SugarZ3ro, Caedye, Aace, and Dep. Hong Kong’s side, which will drop to the Lower Bracket to fight for the second qualifying spot, was represented by SiuFatBB, NoMan, coconut, jkuro, and Ace.

The Asia Qualifier ran from June 26 to 28, 2026, and brought together nine national teams competing for two seats at the main event.

What the ENC VALORANT main event looks like

The Esports Nations Cup VALORANT main event is scheduled for November 8-15, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The competition carries a $1.5 million prize pool and features 32 national teams in total.

Of those 32 teams, 16 received direct invitations based on ENC rankings. The remaining spots are being filled through regional qualifiers, of which the Asia bracket is one.

The EWC Foundation, which organizes the Esports Nations Cup, added VALORANT to its competitive lineup in early 2026. The format mirrors the broader ENC philosophy of pitting national rosters against each other rather than the franchise-based club teams that dominate most professional VALORANT circuits.