Philippines begins buildup for Esports Nations Cup
MANILA, Philippines — As the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) moves closer to its inaugural staging, attention is shifting from the tournament’s global rollout to how countries, including the Philippines, will build their national teams within a compressed timeline.
For the Philippine Esports Organization (PeSO), the country’s esports federation, the task involves assembling a competitive roster across multiple titles while balancing existing strengths with emerging communities.
“For us, as part of the Philippine Esports Organization, we're really happy that we are the national partner for Esports Nations Cup because we see the vision and the alignment for our federation to make sure that esports is accessible to all,” said Marlon Marcelo, executive director of PeSO, during a session with local media.
He added, “We have opportunities for those [titles] we are already strong in and of course those game titles that we have a chance to be great in as well.”
Unlike previous international engagements where participation often centered on select titles, ENC introduces a broader requirement, with national teams potentially fielding rosters across the tournament’s 16 game titles.
“We don't treat it as a challenge. Rather, I see it as an opportunity to engage the esports titles that are not really very known or engaged in the Philippines. The Esports Nations Cup opens that door for them so that they can be more engaged and they have a chance to represent the Philippines on the global stage,” said national team manager Jab Escutin.
With multiple ecosystems involved, PeSO said the selection process will not follow a single template. Instead, it will be tailored per title, depending on factors such as player pool, competitive structure and existing rankings.
“This is the first time we will have different qualifiers for the different games that we currently have because of the back-end stuff like the deadlines, submitting rosters and all of that,” Escutin added.
While final details have yet to be confirmed, he noted that selection could combine several methods.
“I would say just for now, please wait for updates because we are really studying all of this so that we can make sure that we send only the best athletes to represent the Philippines. But I think this is going to be the most exciting [selection] of the national team we’ve had. But there is a chance that combines are going to happen for some of the games or if we just go ahead and select directly based on their rankings and all that. Please stay tuned for all of that,” said Escutin.
Selection is also extending beyond local circuits, with PeSO confirming outreach efforts to Filipino players competing overseas.
“Definitely. Of course, if you have the passport, we can reach you out. Those that are eligible are already being called. It’s like the Avengers already. We’ve reached out [to our players abroad.] Hopefully they respond to the call,” Marcelo said.
The nationality requirement has also shaped how teams are being formed, with ENC enforcing country-based eligibility.
“The Esports Nations Cup is strictly tied to nationality. This is what makes the Esports Nations Cup so interesting and so new. It's something that adds a missing layer to what the current sports ecosystem has seen so far in the top tier competitions. For that reason, it's a requirement to have the passport and the nationality of the country that you're competing for as a player,” said Hans Jagnow, director of clubs, national teams and player relations at the Esports Foundation.
Beyond roster formation, PeSO emphasized that preparation for ENC includes addressing logistical barriers that have historically affected international participation, namely travel documents not being secured on time that have hindered Filipino esports athletes from participating in international tournaments in previous years.
“To give you an idea, most of the time our national athletes have very robust and, let's just say, a fast-track of processing for all different kinds of visas and permits. We're really happy that our federation has had a good track record in securing travel documents for our athletes. And that shows our commitment in making sure that at least the baseline processes for all the athletes are already settled. We're making sure that everything at the back-end side is already covered while [our athletes] just train, focus on the game and make sure that they are in the top position to perform when we go to the international stage,” said Marcelo.
At the grassroots level, the ENC timeline is also prompting adjustments, with PeSO aligning development programs to feed into national selection.
“With ENC, there is a roadmap already being built. We need to support this by actually having our national grassroots programs realigned to the schedule of ENC,” added Marcelo.
This includes expanding initiatives beyond established titles.
“Making sure that our grassroots activities actually also include some of the games that we will be moving forward to, not just those that we are strong with, but to give an opportunity to those that we have potential with,” he added.
Rosters for Team Philippines are set to be announced in the coming months.
The qualifiers for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang already concluded. Two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Karl "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno takes the lead, alongside his 33rd SEA Games teammates Alston "Sanji" Pabico and Jaypee "Jaypee" Dela Cruz.
Completing the five-man roster are 32nd SEA Games gold medalists David "Flap" Canon and Marco "Super Marco" Requitiano.
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