The world's leading celebration of phygital sport, where physical performance meets digital gameplay, wrapped its 2026 edition having united athletes, fans and broadcasters from across the globe.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Aug. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Games of the Future Astana 2026 powered by Samruk-Kazyna has officially concluded after 12 days of high-intensity competition, bringing more than 800 participants from over 50 nationalities to Astana to compete for a prize pool exceeding US$4 million. Some of the world's leading sports and esports clubs joined emerging phygital talent across eight disciplines, as thousands of fans filled four world-class venues across the city and hundreds of millions more followed the action worldwide.
From 29 July to 9 August, the Games of the Future delivered a showcase of elite physical performance, digital gameplay and strategy, with athletes and clubs from around the world battling for titles across a competition program spanning phygital sport and some of the world's biggest esports titles. 12 action-packed days produced standout performances and memorable moments across the venues before culminating in eight champions being crowned in Astana.
Athletes and teams went head-to-head across a lineup that included:
- Phygital Basketball presented by Halyk Fund
- Phygital Football UFL presented by Samruk-Kazyna
- Phygital Dancing presented by SolidcoreResources
- Phygital Shooter CS2 presented by Yandex Go
- Phygital Fighting presented by Kazzinc
- Battle Royale PUBG: Battlegrounds presented by Alatau City Bank
- MOBA PC Dota 2 presented by CenterCredit
- MOBA Mobile MLBB presented by Freedom.
Champions Crowned Across Every Discipline
17 Gaming claimed the Battle Royale crown, holding off GAM The Expendables to claim the title and the accompanying US$300,000 top prize. Team Vitality rounded out the podium in third, ahead of a line up that also included Twisted Minds, Geekay Esports and Team Falcons.
In Phygital Basketball, Wilders closed out a decisive win in the final to take home US$100,000, in a field that also featured world renowned clubs including Valencia Basket, and Boca Juniors. Basketball wasn't the only discipline to produce a statement win: PlayTime claimed the MOBA PC title, marking their first major tournament victory at the Games of the Future, seeing off strong competitors including VICI Gaming, Xtreme Gaming, and Execration along the way.
The Phygital Football final proved just as compelling, with NS Team taking the title against last year's winners, Quetzales-Armadillos. The competition also saw clubs like Peñarol, Los Troncos FC, and Orlando Pirates Fives take to the pitch, while Franco Vitali topped a stacked Phygital Dancing competition - including three-time Just Dance World Champion Umutcan Tutuncu - to be crowned champion.
In Phygital Shooter, Team KZ battled their way to the crown, defeating Liga Pro Team to become champions following five thrilling days of competition at Beeline Arena, with Eternal Fire and Klan Pedrajas also making their mark. Archangel Michael topped the standings in Phygital Fighting to claim the title, while Bigetron by Vitality completed the list of champions by winning the MOBA Mobile competition after an impressive tournament run, finishing ahead of ONIC, Aurora Gaming, Team Falcons, and Team Spirit.
Dan Merkley, CEO of Phygital International, said: "The Games of the Future Astana 2026 has shown the world what makes phygital sport so exciting. We have seen extraordinary athletes and clubs compete, passionate fans fill the venues, and audiences around the world embrace a new kind of experience that reflects the future of sport. Astana represents another important step forward for a global movement that continues to grow in ambition, reach and relevance. I want to thank the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, our Local Organizing Committee, and every athlete, club, partner, volunteer and fan who made this possible. We leave Kazakhstan inspired by what we have achieved together and excited about where phygital sport goes next."
Beyond the competition, the Games of the Future Astana 2026 also brought together leaders and decision-makers from across the international sporting and government communities. Ministers, senior officials and delegates from more than 60 countries attended during the event, alongside representatives of the United Nations, National Olympic Committees and other international organizations, creating opportunities for dialogue around the future development of phygital sport.
The Games of the Future Astana 2026 also reached a significant global audience, with coverage delivered through 289 distribution outlets across more than 150 countries and territories and in over 20 languages, generating hundreds of millions of views worldwide.
You can continue watching full replays from across all disciplines at the Games of the Future Astana 2026 on Phygital+, the dedicated streaming platform for phygital sport.
Notes to Editors:
About Phygital International (PI):
Phygital International is the promoter of phygital sports globally and is focused on innovating and redefining sports. It is the custodian and rights holder of the Games of the Future and oversees the bidding process for each host city.
For further information, please visit: https://phygitalinternational.com
About the Games of the Future (GOTF):
The Games of the Future is an annual international event that fuses the worlds of physical and digital and is the pinnacle of phygital sport. The tournament brings together the next generation of phygital sporting heroes from all over the world to compete in a diverse range of phygital disciplines and challenges. The Games of the Future 2025 was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE while the Games of the Future 2026 was held in Astana, Kazakhstan.
For more information please visit: https://gofuture.games/
krisha@marylebonecommunications.com
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