Esports Foundation appoints the UK-based collective as National Team Partner for Great Britain ahead of nation-based esports competition in November 2026; UK esports stars feature in announcement video
Sunderland, March 25th 2026 – British Esports, the national esports federation for the United Kingdom, is delighted to announce it has been selected – along with several partners – to represent Great Britain at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), set to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 02-29, 2026.
British Esports will proudly work alongside fellow UK-based organisations Esports Wales, Fnatic, Scottish Esports, The English Football Association (FA) via England Gaming and the UK Esports Team Committee (UKETC), as a collective Official National Team Partner, responsible for all marketing and content and assisting with team operations. As the National Team Partner, British Esports will lead the formation of the national team for Great Britain across multiple game titles, and establish the structures required to support participation and the growth of esports in the country.
Jeff Simpkins has been appointed National Team Manager for Great Britain, and will be leaning on industry veterans such as Michael ‘ODEE’ O’Dell (Scan Computers Director of Gaming and Esports), Grant Rousseau (NIP Group COO) and Saahib Reehal (Esports and Gaming Lead at The FA) for support. Jeff will also select coaches in each game title, who he will work with on player selection. Those coaches will be announced at a later date.
Jeff has led UK organisations including Resolve and Barrage, and worked as Rocket League Team Manager for The Football Association, managing the England Gaming team at the FIFAe World Cup. He is also the current Chair of the UKETC.
The British esports collective joins a global roster of National Team Partners awarded across more than 100 nations as part of the Esports Nations Cup’s partnership-led model for national team development. The Esports Foundation (EF) received more than 630 applications from 150 countries and territories, reflecting the global interest in and opportunity for nation-based esports. The list of organisations and individuals is available on the ENC website and will be updated as additional appointments are confirmed.
The news comes after a bid was submitted to represent Great Britain at the ENC earlier this year. An open call was made for anyone who wanted to apply as a potential GB esports team manager and, after a thorough interview process with many applicants, Jeff Simpkins was selected.
Dave Martin, British Esports Senior Vice President, commented: “British Esports is delighted to be working in unison with a host of fantastic partners to represent Great Britain at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup. We look forward to seeing Jeff select the best talent to give Great Britain the best possible chance of success, and make the UK esports community proud. Good luck to all involved.”
Jeff Simpkins, Great Britain National Team Manager, added: “It’s a real honour to be appointed as National Team Manager for Great Britain at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup.
“Representing your country in any capacity is an incredible experience, but to do so at this scale, across 16 titles, is what makes this a really unique competition.
“It’s a responsibility that I take very seriously and I’m looking forward to building competitive teams alongside a group of very strong coaches, while collectively managing the demands that come with representing Great Britain on the international stage.”
Mark McCready, Scottish Esports Chief Executive, said: “This is a positive step forward for esports across Great Britain. This collective collaboration strengthens player development pathways, which is essential for the long-term growth of the ecosystem. It creates an important opportunity for Scottish players to compete alongside the best talent from across the home nations.”
John Jackson, Esports Wales CEO, commented: “We’re excited for Esports Wales to be part of the Esports Nations Cup bid and to work together with the group to put a strong team forward. It’s encouraging to see pathways developing that may support future Welsh representation at this level.”
Ralf Reichert, CEO of The Esports Foundation, added: “The Esports Nations Cup introduces something esports has never had before: a global system for national teams at an unprecedented scale. The response we received from across the world shows that communities are ready for this next step. Together with our partners, we are building the structures that will allow players to represent their nations and compete on the biggest stage in esports. With more than 100 nations now part of the system, the Esports Nations Cup moves from concept to reality — establishing national esports as a lasting part of the global competitive landscape.”
Top British esports stars have also featured in the GB announcement video:
- Jack ‘ApparentlyJack’ Benton – Rocket League Player for Geekay Esports
- Jack ‘Doki’ Robertson – Rainbow Six: Siege Player for G2 Esports
- Dan ‘Stingray’ Ray – FC 26 Player for GEN City
- Luke ‘TeaBone’ Crafer – PUBG Player for Acend
- Thomas ‘Pac’ Cole – Trackmania Player for Team Vitality
- Matthew ‘Zuni’ Archibald – Apex Legends Player for Citadel Gaming
The ENC will launch in Riyadh in November 2026 before moving to a rotating city model. The biennial ENC complements the annual Club-based Esports World Cup (EWC), providing a stable structure for players and long-term investment in national team programmes.
It’s backed by a three-part funding commitment totaling $45m, with $20m in prize money paid directly to players and coaches, $5m in club incentives for esports clubs that release and enable their professional players to participate in ENC, and an additional $20m through the previously announced ENC Development Fund. This will support Official National Team Partners with logistics, travel, programme operations, national team marketing, and the long-term growth of national team pathways.
The 16 game titles at ENC 2026 include:
- Apex Legends
- Chess
- Counter-Strike 2
- Dota 2
- FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves
- FC 26
- Honor of Kings
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends Bang Bang
- PUBG Battlegrounds
- PUBG Mobile
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Rocket League
- Trackmania
- VALORANT
- Final Title TBC
British Esports plans to host watch parties for matches at its upcoming Arena in Sunderland, as does Fnatic, Esports Wales and Scottish Esports with their own separate events. Other members of the UKETC will also be a part of this, such as Endpoint.
For clarity, Esports Northern Ireland and the Ireland Esports Federation are not a part of the Great Britain team, and may have their own separate bid to represent their regions.
For more information, please email enc@britishesports.org. To stay up to date, check out instagram.com/greatbritainenc, youtube.com/@greatbritainenc, tiktok.com/@greatbritainenc and x.com/greatbritainenc
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Contacts
Press | British Esports | press@britishesports.org
GB Team | British Esports | enc@britishesports.org
About the British Esports Federation
Established in 2016, British Esports is the national body for esports in the UK. It is the recognised member of the Global Esports Federation for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and founding member of the International Olympic Committee Esports and Gaming Liaison Group. From nationwide amateur grassroots competition to cutting edge esports curriculum and national representation on the global stage, British Esports is dedicated to increasing levels of esports awareness, improving esports standards, and inspiring future esports talent.
www.britishesports.org
About the Esports Nations Cup
The Esports Nations Cup (ENC) is a biennial global esports competition created by the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) that brings national pride to the world stage. Launching in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2026, the ENC will feature the world’s best players competing not for their Clubs, but for their countries and territories, across a lineup of leading esports titles. Built in collaboration with game partners, Clubs, and esports organizations, the ENC establishes the first recurring, large-scale platform for national teams in esports. Beyond competition, it aims to fuel fandom, inspire heroes, and provide sustainable pathways for nations, players, and partners to grow within the global esports ecosystem.
About the Esports Foundation
The Esports Foundation (EF) is a non-profit organization based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, dedicated to advancing and professionalizing the global esports industry. Through the annual Esports World Cup (EWC) and the biennial Esports Nations Cup (ENC), EWCF brings together the world’s top players, leading Clubs, and millions of fans for the biggest stages in competitive gaming. Beyond hosting tournaments, the Foundation works year-round to grow the esports ecosystem, support talent development, and create lasting opportunities for players, teams, and partners worldwide.