ASTANA — The Kazakh capital to host the international multisport tournament Games of the Future 2026, based on the phygital concept. This major sporting event combines competitions in both physical and digital dimensions (physical + digital) — a growing format known as phygital.
Photo credit: Games of the Future
Alibek Khasenov, head of the Directorate for the Organization and Conduct of the Games of the Future in Kazakhstan, announced this at the international World Phygital Summit 2025 in Dubai, according to the Directorate’s press service. During his speech, he said Astana is expected to welcome participants from over 100 countries, along with a significant influx of fans from around the world.
“We are confident the tournament will be held at the highest level, given Kazakhstan’s extensive experience in organizing major international events,” Khasenov added.
The World Phygital Summit 2025, organized by Phygital International in collaboration with the World Phygital Community (WPC), brought together representatives, partners, and leaders in phygital sports development. The WPC community includes members from nearly 100 countries worldwide.
Phygital sports are rapidly evolving, gaining recognition and popularity globally. WPC members host local qualifying tournaments in phygital disciplines, with winners earning a spot at the biggest event in the phygital sports calendar — the Games of the Future.
The inaugural Games of the Future tournament took place in 2024 in Kazan, Russia. Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attended the opening ceremony alongside other world leaders and announced the initiative to bring the event to Kazakhstan.
That year, the tournament featured around 2,000 athletes competing across 21 innovative disciplines that blend dynamic physical sports with globally popular video games. The total prize fund reached a record $10 million. Kazakh phygital athletes participated in 13 disciplines.
