China’s 17 Gaming became the first champion crowned at the Games of the Future 2026 in Astana after winning the three-day PUBG: Battlegrounds competition.
Sixteen teams played 15 matches for shares of a $1 million prize fund. 17 Gaming received $300,000 for first place.
This was DIGA Esports’ first tournament of this scale. The Kazakhstani team finished 14th with 59 points and received $15,000. It won the eighth match in front of the home crowd at Beeline Arena.
“The first day was about adapting to the tournament. It became easier on the second day, and I think we performed well on the third,” DIGA Esports player Sanzhar Kaliyev said in comments published by the Games of the Future.
“Some of our players had never even competed in major European tournaments before, while here we were facing world champions. So finishing 14th against teams of this caliber is not a bad result for newcomers.”
Kazakhstan approved a government esports development strategy in June 2025. The document estimated that around 3.5 million people in the country were interested in esports and online gaming in 2024.
The strategy calls for leagues in schools and universities. It also proposes regional competitions and at least one national or international esports tournament each year. A Central Asian esports hub is listed as a long-term goal.
Kazakhstan has also hosted other major competitions. In 2025, Astana staged PGL Astana 2025, a Counter-Strike 2 tournament organized by the Bucharest-based esports company PGL. Almaty hosted the PUBG Mobile Super League Central & South Asia. The sector has also received increased government support and investment.
Phygital basketball is the next discipline to conclude, with its champion due to be decided on August 3. Running until August 9, the tournament features more than 800 competitors representing over 50 nationalities across eight disciplines and has a total prize fund of $4.65 million.
Competitions include esports and phygital disciplines held in both digital and physical stages.
