Viet Nam to host annual Southeast Asian Esports Nations Cup from 2026

Announced during Viet Nam GameVerse 2026, held in Ho Chi Minh City on May 8 and 9, Viet Nam will become the annual host nation of the SEA Esports Nations Cup (SNC) from 2026 onwards.

The tournament is organised under a strategic cooperation agreement between the Southeast Asian Esports Federation, the Viet Nam GameVerse platform, and game publisher VNGGames. It aims to build a professional esports competition system based on national teams, similar to traditional sports models.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of Viet Nam GameVerse 2026, Le Quang Tu Do, Head of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that after four years of organisation, Viet Nam GameVerse has gradually become an international-scale event attracting major technology and gaming corporations such as Google, Meta, Roblox, Riot Games, SmileGate, and many other international partners.

Notably, this is also the first time that all components of Viet Nam’s gaming ecosystem have been connected in a coordinated manner, including state management agencies, game developers, publishers, educational institutions, and the esports community.

The launch of the SNC is considered a new step forward in the professionalisation of esports in Viet Nam and Southeast Asia.

Hosting the SNC highlights Viet Nam’s increasingly prominent role in connecting the regional esports ecosystem. While Viet Nam previously mainly participated in international competitions as a competing nation, it is now gradually taking on the role of host, organiser, and operator of regional-scale esports activities.

According to the organisers, the inaugural SNC season will begin in 2026 with five game titles and nine medal events. Athletes will compete in games with large player communities in Southeast Asia, including PUBG Mobile, Teamfight Tactics, Crossfire Legends, and Total Football.

The total prize pool for SNC 2026 has been announced at 41,000 USD.

Statistics show that global esports market revenue reached approximately 3 billion USD in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 19%. Southeast Asia alone generated 77.4 million USD in 2025 and is forecast to rise to 154.9 million USD by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.62% per year.

In particular, esports awareness in Southeast Asia has reached 94%, higher than Europe’s 85%, according to statistics from IMARC.

In Viet Nam, domestic esports revenue is forecast to reach around 10 million USD by 2030.