The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has officially expanded the esports programme for the 2026 Aichi Nagoya Asian Games, increasing the number of competitive gaming events to 11 following the 93rd Executive Committee Meeting. The decision marks another important development for esports following its successful inclusion as an official medal event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

Esports first debuted as a demonstration event at the 2018 Asian Games, and its huge success has led to it becoming an official medal event in 2022, including popular games such as League of Legends, Dota 2 and Street Fighter V. Today, esports has grown from a niche entertainment to a globally recognized competitive field, and the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) plays a key role in the management of the Asian Games esports events.

Official esports events for the 2026 Asian Games
The esports events approved for the 2026 Aichi Nagoya Asian Games include:

Street Fighter 6

Pokémon Unite (new)

Honor of Kings (replacing Arena of Valor)

League of Legends Asian Games version

PUBG Mobile Asian Games version

Mobile Legends (new)

Dream Three Kingdoms

Naraka: Bladepoint (new)

Gran Turismo 7 (new)

Pro Evolution Soccer series (new)

Puyo Puyo Champions Edition (new)
New esports events unveiled
Seven new games have been added, including Pokémon Unite, Mobile Legends, Naraka: Bladepoint, Gran Turismo 7, Pro Evolution Soccer series, and Puyo Puyo Champions Edition. These new events cover a variety of game types such as fighting, racing, MOBA, and strategy, reflecting the diversified development of esports events.

Psyduck's new fantasy costume is now online.
Image source: Pokémon Unite
It is worth noting that Dota 2, Hearthstone and EA Sports FC were not selected, which may be related to licensing issues, regional popularity or changes in e-sports trends. A dedicated game selection working group carefully screened the games to ensure that a wide range of game categories were covered, taking into account player engagement and regional influence.

At the 2023 Asian Games, League of Legends and Dota 2 set peak viewership of 146,000 and 78,000 (excluding Chinese viewers) respectively, fully demonstrating the huge influence of e-sports. The expanded list of events further consolidates the legal status of e-sports as a sport.

Demon Ninja
Image source: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
AESF governance update and OCA instructions
OCA has asked the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) to amend its charter to meet good governance standards before the election meeting on April 6, 2025. If AESF fails to make the required adjustments, OCA will revoke its recognition. In addition, the OCA has disbanded the e-sports selection working group, which means that the selection of e-sports events for the 2026 Aichi Nagoya Asian Games has been completed.

In 2027, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will cooperate with the Esports World Cup Foundation to host the first Olympic e-sports Games, marking the further development of e-sports on the global sports stage.