RIYADH: The Esports Foundation has announced the return of the New Global Sport Conference to Riyadh from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, ahead of the Esports Nations Cup 2026, the global nation-based esports competition, which starts on Nov. 2.
NGSC26, which is being hosted at the Sofitel Riyadh Hotel & Convention Centre, brings together leaders across gaming, esports, sport, entertainment, technology, and investment to foster collaboration that will help shape the future of these industries. Tickets for the event are now available.
Ahead of the main conference in Riyadh, NGSC26 will host a curated, invitation-only summit during the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, marking the NGSC’s first international edition outside Saudi Arabia.
This year’s theme, “Defining Victory: Shaping Gaming for the Next Era of Competition — AI, Capital & Monetization,” reflects the shift in how success is understood across gaming, esports, and sport.
The conference will explore how artificial intelligence, new capital models, ownership structures, commercial innovation and fan behavior are changing the ways the industry creates value, builds ecosystems, and defines success.
New for this year’s edition, NGSC26 hosts an invitation-only opening day on Oct. 30, featuring curated networking, workshops, high-level meetings, and roundtables ahead of the main conference agenda.
Hans Jagnow, the director of the NGSC at the Esports Foundation, said: “The New Global Sport Conference has become a place where leaders across gaming, esports and sport come together to discuss what comes next.
“In 2026 we are expanding that position with two clear moments: Riyadh in November, alongside the Esports Nations Cup, and a curated Paris summit during the Esports World Cup. Together, they reflect NGSC’s ambition to connect people, their ideas, and partnerships that are shaping the future of global competition and defining what victory looks like.”
The announcement follows the continued growth of the NGSC. In 2025, the annual business gathering convened more than 1,500 delegates, including over 500 CEOs, 25 major game publishers, more than 50 esports organizations, and leaders from gaming, sport, investment, media, and technology.
The 2025 edition featured participants from Ubisoft, Amazon, Sony, FIFA, and the Esports Foundation, as well as prominent speakers including Magnus Carlsen, Steven Bartlett, Hideo Kojima, Nicolas Winding Refn, and Alex Morgan. More than 250 bilateral meetings took place during the event and 30 memorandums of understanding and strategic agreements were signed across the gaming, esports, and sport sectors.
NGSC26 is being delivered in partnership with Richard Attias & Associates, a global strategic advisory firm specializing in high-impact live experiences and global convenings, and Maanna Strategic Communications, a regional consultancy supporting PR and marketing operations across the program. These partners will support NGSC26 in shaping its global platform, strengthening its communications approach, and enabling meaningful engagement across gaming, esports, and sport.
