NODWIN Gaming announces India’s Honor of Kings lineup for Esports Nations Cup 2026; team awarded special invite to main event

NODWIN Gaming, India’s National Team Partner (NTP) for the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026, has revealed the country’s Honor of Kings roster for the inaugural edition of the global nation-based esports competition, set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29, 2026. Alongside the roster announcement, India has also been awarded a Special Invite to the Honor of Kings main event at ENC 2026.

Honor of Kings at ENC 2026 will take place from November 24 to 29, featuring 24 national teams competing for a prize pool of USD 1.32 million (~INR 12.5 crore). A total of 64 national rosters representing 64 countries and territories have been officially submitted and confirmed for the tournament. Alongside India’s Special Invite, the Esports Foundation allocated 12 direct invitations through the ENC Ranking system, which aggregates points earned by players based on their performances in official Honor of Kings competitions until July 5, 2026. The remaining nine qualification spots will be decided through regional online qualifiers, scheduled for July 18 to 19, while the final two places at the ENC Finals will be filled through wildcard invitations, comprising one Host Region slot and one Solidarity slot.

India’s lineup comprises Rahul Lavhate (Kyurem), Aashish Chouhan (Deadshot), Ainul Haidery (Senpai), Saurabh Jagadale (Kael), and Bezalel Hmar (Eto). Aryan Gulati (TT) and Saad Sardar (Darkness) have been named as substitutes. Gradyano Valendy (Rinnqt), who was previously appointed as the team’s head coach by NODWIN Gaming, will oversee India’s preparations for ENC 2026.

The squad brings together some of India’s most accomplished Honor of Kings players, combining championship-winning experience with proven performers from the country’s top competitions. Leading the lineup is Revenant Xspark’s Senpai, who will serve as the team’s in-game leader (IGL). Widely regarded as one of India’s leading Junglers, he is joined by teammate Deadshot, one of the country’s finest Clash Lane players. The duo recently won the Bengaluru leg of the Kings Arise India City Tour and are also set to represent India at the Honor of Kings World Cup (KWC) at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris.

Joining them are S8UL Esports teammates Kyurem and Kael, who are also set to represent India at KWC 2026. The pair also emerged victorious at the Mumbai leg of the Kings Arise India City Tour. Completing the starting lineup is GodLike Esports’ Eto, one of India’s most promising emerging talents. The squad is further strengthened by substitutes TT and Darkness, who provide additional depth and versatility for the tournament.

“The Honor of Kings esports scene in India has grown tremendously in a short span of time, and this roster reflects the depth of talent that has emerged across different organizations. Representing India at the Esports Nations Cup is both an honour and a responsibility, and every player understands what this opportunity means. We want to deliver performances the community can be proud of, establish India as a strong competitor on the global Honor of Kings stage, and inspire more players to pursue the game competitively,” said Ainul Haidery aka Senpai, in-game leader of India’s Honor of Kings team.

With this announcement, India has now secured representation in five titles at ENC 2026: Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Chess, Honor of Kings, Trackmania and VALORANT. Similar to Honor of Kings, the nation has also earned a special invite in BGMI. In Chess, Grandmaster Nihal Sarin secured a direct invitation through the official ENC Rankings, while Mitrabha Guha progressed through the regional qualifiers. India’s VALORANT team qualified through the Asia regional qualifiers, while Trackmania star Kunal Upreti (Spark) booked his place at the global event after advancing from the Asia regional qualifier.

Elsewhere, India’s DOTA 2 campaign came to an end after the team narrowly lost to Pakistan in the Lower Bracket Final of the South & East Asia Qualifier. The country’s PUBG: Battlegrounds team also missed out on qualification after finishing sixth in the Asia Pacific regional qualifier, falling short of a place at the ENC 2026 main event.

Attention now turns to the remaining titles. India’s MOBA Legends: 5v5! squad also remains in contention for a direct invitation to the main event and, if required, will compete in the regional qualifiers scheduled for August 15 to 16.