The president of the Republic of Kazakhstan has officially opened the Games of the Future Astana 2026 presented by Samruk-Kazyna in a landmark ceremony at the iconic Barys Arena.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev officially welcomed the world to his nation’s capital on the first day of competition – which also saw the WPC’s second General Meeting and the annual Phygital Sports Summit.
WPC members gathered at the International Center for Artificial Intelligence – Alem AI, where they reflected on a season of strong international growth. They also discussed the continued expansion of the WPC and the development pathway that has brought clubs and athletes to the Games of the Future.
Earlier in the day, members also joined global sports, technology and government leaders at the Phygital Sport Summit Astana 2026.
More than 800 participants from over 50 nations, have gathered in the Kazakhstani capital to compete across eight disciplines, with a prize pool exceeding US$4 million. Over 100,000 spectators are expected across the tournament’s four venues.
Competition got underway immediately with Phygital Basketball presented by Halyk Fund becoming the first discipline to begin, featuring clubs including Valencia Basket, ZM NITUI, Boca Juniors, PBC Astana and more from across the WPC network.
Battle Royale PUBG: Battlegrounds presented by Alatau City Bank begins on 31 July, alongside MOBA PC Dota 2 presented by CenterCredit with the remaining disciplines starting in the following days.
David Feng, Chairman of the World Phygital Community, said: “The Games of the Future represent the pinnacle of phygital sport, bringing together the world’s best competitors on one global stage, and it’s a privilege to see so many clubs and athletes from across our community compete in Astana. Today, we also saw a productive second WPC General Meeting, where our members came together to shape the future of our community. We look forward to seeing WPC clubs and athletes showcase the talent, innovation and passion that define phygital sport, and wish every competitor the very best of luck throughout the tournament.”
Fans around the world will be able to watch every match live on Phygital+, the official streaming platform for the Games of the Future 2026, alongside an expanding network of international broadcast partners, including Fox Sports Mexico, StarTimes, BIGG TV, ESR TV, Play TV, Unbeaten and QazSport.
To stay up to date with competition schedules, results and the latest tournament news, visit the official Games of the Future website or follow the event across social media on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
