The third edition of the Future Games has opened in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, bringing traditional sport and esports together through digital technology.
The opening ceremony was attended by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, and Rustam Minnikhanov, head of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan.
The competition runs from July 29 to August 9 and features more than 800 athletes from more than 50 countries competing for a prize fund of $4.75 million across eight disciplines. They include phygital football, phygital basketball, phygital martial arts, a phygital shooter, phygital dance, and tournaments in Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and PUBG: Battlegrounds.
Opening the Games, Tokayev said the tournament would provide fresh momentum for the development of the international phygital movement.
“I am confident that the Future Games in Astana will give a powerful boost to the international phygital movement at the intersection of traditional sport and the gaming industry. It combines sport and intellect while also bringing together physical ability and intellectual potential,” Tokayev said.
The Future Games have been held since 2024. The inaugural event took place in Kazan, while the second edition was hosted by the United Arab Emirates. The competition combines digital and physical formats, with athletes first competing in virtual contests before continuing the same discipline in real-world sporting events.
The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Kazakhstan had originally been scheduled to host the second Future Games in 2025 but postponed the event by a year after redirecting public funds to deal with the aftermath of devastating spring floods. Several members of Kazakhstan’s parliament later proposed postponing the 2026 Games as well because of concerns over public spending.
