World’s biggest phygital sporting event, the Games of the Future 2026, has officially begun in Astana, Kazakhstan, running from 29 July to 9 August.
The tournament has brought together more than 800 participants representing more than 50 nationalities across eight disciplines: phygital football, phygital basketball, phygital shooter, phygital dancing, MOBA PC, MOBA Mobile, phygital fighting and battle royale.
“The main mission of the Games of the Future is to truly unite people and inspire them toward new achievements. I am sure that the Games of the Future will become another golden bridge of unity, friendship and solidarity among our countries,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the opening ceremony.
Held at the Barys Arena, the ceremony celebrated Kazakhstan’s rich heritage and vision for the future by combining cultural performances with immersive technology and world-class production.
International government delegations, ministers, leaders from the worlds of sport, technology and innovation, as well as partners of the global phygital movement, attended the ceremony, reflecting the Games’ growing international profile at the intersection of sport, technology and culture.
The Games of the Future 2025, held in Abu Dhabi, generated more than 461 million broadcast views and reached an estimated 137 million unique viewers worldwide, highlighting growing international interest in phygital sport.
Unlike a conventional multi-sport event, the Games of the Future combine digital and physical competition within the same competitive format.
In phygital disciplines, athletes begin by competing in a video game before moving to a related physical contest. The results from both stages contribute to the final score, allowing teams that perform less strongly in one stage to recover in the other. The format requires competitors to adapt to different rules, skills and tactics within a single match.
As a result, experience in traditional sport alone is not enough. Athletes must be equally prepared for both physical competition and gaming, with high-level performance required in each.
“Together, they will showcase a new era of sport - one that brings together physical excellence, digital competition and technological innovation on a truly global stage,” said Daniel Merkley, Phygital International CEO.
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