After the conclusion of the Esports World Cup, some might reasonably ask: why is it called the World Cup, yet it has nothing to do with tournaments where national teams compete for the title of the strongest country in the discipline?

In the case of Rainbow Six Siege, there was once a genuine plan for a world cup—with national teams, qualifying stages, and global prestige. Moreover, in 2020, Ubisoft even announced it, presenting a list of participating countries and dates for 2021. But then the COVID-19 pandemic intervened... and the story took a completely different turn.

In this article, we'll examine what the Rainbow Six Siege World Cup was supposed to be, who would have participated, and why the tournament remained an unfulfilled idea.

What the Tournament Was Supposed to Look Like

On September 10, 2020, Ubisoft officially announced plans to hold the R6 World Cup in the summer of 2021. Players from 45 countries were to participate, competing for the main trophy—the Rainbow Six World Cup.

Format and Invited Teams

Fourteen national teams were directly invited to the main stage: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Taiwan, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the USA.

Another 5 teams were supposed to qualify through regional qualifiers:

• Europe (2 spots) — Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine.
• South America — Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru.
• Southeast Asia — Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand.
• South Asia — Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
• MENA — Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia.

National Committees and Player Selection

Each country, whether in the main bracket or qualifiers, was to form a national committee of three managers.

These managers were chosen from three sources:

1. A representative from the local Ubisoft (appointed by the company).
2. A representative from the professional scene (chosen by players and coaches from the region).
3. A community representative (elected by the R6 community vote).

The committee would then form a team of five players to represent the country in the tournament.

Why It Was Exciting

The idea seemed grand and very promising:

• National teams from dozens of countries;
• A chance for newcomers to make a name for themselves;
• The opportunity for strong players to be noticed and invited to professional teams;
• For established players, the chance to represent their country and win a title for it.

Such a tournament could have been a true celebration for esports and strengthened the Rainbow Six Siege scene on the global stage.

What Went Wrong

September 2020—the announcement. Even then, the COVID-19 pandemic was gaining momentum. Initially, the tournament was postponed from 2021 to 2022, but in 2022 the coronavirus situation remained challenging. According to WHO, the pandemic officially ended only in 2023. One might think the tournament could be held after that... but no.

Why It's Not Happening Now

There are several reasons:

• Ubisoft's shift in priorities. Until 2023, ESL supported R6 tournaments. Perhaps the World Cup idea originated from them.
• In 2022, ESL FACEIT Group was bought by investors from Saudi Arabia and launched their own major event—Gamers8, which later became the Esports World Cup.
• Currently, R6 tournaments are organized by BLAST, and ESL FACEIT Group has focused on other disciplines and their own World Cup.

Ultimately, there might be a simple naming conflict: the World Cup now belongs to ESL FACEIT Group, and no one is in a hurry to host another one under the same name in R6.

Regional Imbalance and Opportunity for Growth

It's worth mentioning the disparity in player distribution worldwide. Some countries have a genuine surplus of top esports athletes, forming several competitive teams. In others, there's a stark shortage, making it a significant challenge to assemble even one world-class team.

This is especially noticeable in South America, where Rainbow Six Siege thrives in esports, while many regions remain in the shadows and are barely represented on the global stage.

Ubisoft faces a massive task in popularizing the game globally. Tournaments like the R6 World Cup could be a real tool for expanding Siege's reach—providing opportunities for all regions to participate, developing local scenes, and nurturing new talents. Without this, the game will remain a discipline dominated by one region, with the rest of the world as spectators.

The Rainbow Six Siege World Cup could have been one of the most interesting and significant events in the discipline's history. It would have given the scene a breath of fresh air, offered chances to new faces, and perhaps become an annual tradition. But history had other plans—and now R6 remains without its world cup, leaving us to wonder what might have been if everything had worked out.