Trackmania arcade racing became the final chord in the formation of the list of disciplines for the debut Cup of Nations in esports.
This project is one of the 16 main games that the Esports World Cup Foundation is rolling out at its international event in November. The tournament will take place from November 19 to 22, 2026, where 32 national teams will meet in the Cup mode, going through the meat grinder of the group stages and the playoffs.
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The rules of the Cup Mode and the conditions for winning the tournament
The Cup mode, in fact, is not just a ride, but a real tactical 1—on-1-on-1 battle. Players, in general, accumulate points for finishing positions until they reach the “finalist” bar. And here’s the most interesting thing — to take the gold in the final, it’s not enough to be the leader in points, you need to win a particular round blood from your nose.
Only the top four from each group will receive a ticket to the second stage, where the absolute champion will be determined according to the playoff system.
How to win in Cup Mode and conquer the Black Tracks?
Trackmania is not just about racing, it’s, apparently, pure digital adrenaline, where the mechanics of Cup Mode and the madness of Black Tracks make even veterans sweat.
A scoring system and a 120 point limit
Cup Mode, to be honest, is a real test of strength, where the foundation is a hard 120 points limit. The essence is simple: You’re either the leader or the dust on the sidelines. Teams and singles are hacking at tracks from winter campaign tracks and fall season, trying not to go crazy from high pressure.
The scoring system here is quite transparent: 30 points are awarded for the first place, 25 for the second, and so on down to one for the thirtieth place. But here’s the catch — as soon as you break through the 120 points limit, the moment of truth arrives. To get the final finalist round win, it’s not enough for you to just be in the top, you need to bleed out of your nose to win a particular race as a finalist, which, by the way, gives you a fat bonus of 50 points.
| Stage | Limitation | Track Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | 120 points limit | Winter campaign tracks from the fall season |
| Final | Finalist round win | Black tracks with high pressure sections |
Features of passing Black Tracks in Trackmania
Black Tracks is an elitist sadomasochism in the world of Trackmania. These black-marked tracks usually crown the fall season or open the winter winter campaign tracks, turning high pressure to the maximum.
There are 60-90-second races waiting for you with dozens of checkpoints, where each drift should be jewelry. 0.1% of the players take away the author’s medals at most — this is no joke. Take for example the legendary “Storm Drift”: one mistake in five hundredths of a second, and you, in principle, can say goodbye to a place in the top 10. On the Nadeo leaderboards, you can clearly see how this pressure breaks the pros — even the top hundred loses seconds where a beginner simply crashes off the track.
Tactics and tips for winning the final round
To snatch the finalist round win on the “black” tracks, when the 120 points limit is breathing down your back, you need to work hard:
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The start is everything: The first 20 seconds of the race, in fact, determine almost half of your success.
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Reflexes: Memorize hotkeys for instant respawn — it actually saves up to 10 seconds per session.
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Analysis: Watch the replays of the leaders, because they literally cut corners by pixels.
Do you remember how in the winter season of 2025 the guy under the nickname Scrub created a miracle? He took the finalist round win at the Glacier Rush track, clocking 56.789 seconds under the wildest points limit. He actually beat up 128 competitors just out of character.
Elite Cup qualification stages and ranking for players
The selection system, to be honest, looks pretty transparent, but harsh:
1. Direct invitations: 16 pilots will take places according to the Elite Cup rating. The top five results from the ten weekly races are taken into account here.
2. Regional online qualifiers: Double Elimination qualifiers will be held from June 19th to 21st. The geography is generally extensive: from the Americas to Asia and Oceania.
3. Wildcard: The remaining 2 slots are probably reserved for special occasions.
The history of the Trackmania discipline in global esports
Trackmania has more than twenty years of competitive gaming history behind it. Before the start of the Esports Nations Cup, the game will have time to make its World Cup debut in July and August.
This announcement has already triggered a good shift in the market — top organizations have started hunting for talent. For example, the Saudi club Team Falcons decided not to be petty and on January 22 signed a legend, seven—time world champion Carl-Antoni ‘CarlJr‘ Cloutier. Trackmania is currently the second confirmed discipline after Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and this is just the beginning.
