ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has qualified for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 main event after defeating archrivals India 2-1 in the lower-bracket final of the South and East Asia regional qualifier.

The victory secures one of two qualifying berths from the region and marks another milestone for Pakistan's growing esports scene, where competitive gaming has gained momentum through an expanding player base, stronger grassroots competition, and increasing institutional support.

The qualification also gives Pakistan an opportunity to test themselves against some of the world's top Dota 2 teams on the international stage later this year.

The decisive best-of-three series was played on July 1, with Pakistan claiming the second and final qualification spot from South and East Asia. The result ended India's Dota 2 qualification campaign, although India has already secured a place in the tournament's Valorant competition.

Pakistan began their regional campaign with a 2-0 victory over Bangladesh before suffering a 2-0 defeat to Mongolia. India followed a similar path, losing 2-0 to Mongolia after defeating Bangladesh by the same scoreline.

Those results set up a winner-take-all clash between the South Asian rivals for the final qualifying berth.

Pakistan prevailed 2-1 to finish second in the regional standings behind Mongolia. India placed third, while Bangladesh finished fourth.

Pakistan's qualifying roster featured YawaR, ritiredota, Mr.DeviL, Ahsan, and Sanity, with Tultras serving as head coach.

The Esports Nations Cup is an international competition that brings together national teams from around the world across multiple esports titles. The 2026 Dota 2 tournament will be held in Saudi capital Riyadh from Nov. 2 to 8.

The event will feature 32 national teams, including 16 direct invitations, 14 regional qualifiers, and two wildcard entrants. Teams will be divided into four groups of eight, with the top four from each group advancing to the single-elimination knockout stage.

Pakistan will now turn their attention to the main event in Riyadh, where they will compete against some of the world's strongest Dota 2 nations for the tournament title.

Esports Nations Cup 2026

Pakistan qualify for Esports Nations Cup after defeating India in Dota 2