As the World Phygital Community 2025/26 season enters its final stretch, the dates for the Games of the Future 2026 have been officially confirmed for 29 July – 9 August 2026, in the Kazakhstani capital Astana.
Eight disciplines have also been confirmed, including the WPC four core disciplines — Phygital Football, Phygital Basketball, Phygital Shooter and Phygital Dancing. Rankings are set to go live on 30 March, marking a crucial milestone as WPC clubs and athletes across the international circuit continue their push for qualification through the closing phase of the season.
In addition to the core disciplines, Phygital Fighting will also return, following its success at the Games of the Future 2025 in Abu Dhabi. Within esports, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) action will again take centre stage across both PC and mobile, with Battle Royale – one of the world’s most recognized and widely followed formats – completing the lineup.
GOTF 2026 is set to welcome more than 900 participants from over 50 nationalities, competing for over $US4 M prize pool in front of more than 100,000 expected fans across four of Astana’s premier sports arenas. From the scale of Barys Arena and Beeline Arena to the Athletics Sports Complex “Qazaqstan” and the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace, the city will provide a world-class stage for WPC clubs and athletes to compete at the highest level.
The countdown is now on for WPC members, with ranking tournaments set to conclude on 15 March and final rankings to be announced on 30 March. This will determine which clubs and athletes qualify directly for the Games of the Future 2026 and which will progress to Phygital Contenders as the next stage on the road to Astana.
Dan Merkley, Chairperson and Managing Director of the World Phygital Community, said: “With the dates and disciplines now confirmed for the Games of the Future 2026, we are looking forward to seeing more success from clubs across the WPC ecosystem as the qualification pathway continues to unfold. The momentum building through ranking tournaments this season reflects the strength of our global community, and we are excited to see which clubs and athletes earn their place in Astana.”
Ahead of Astana, revisit the full action from GOTF 2025 in Abu Dhabi on the official OTT platform at tv.gofuture.games.
