Astana to Become Capital of Phygital Sports — Kazakhstan Welcomes Participants of the 2026 Future Games
World esports stars are arriving in Astana for the largest international multisport tournament, the 2026 Future Games. The competition, which combines traditional sports, esports, and augmented reality technologies (phygital = physical + digital), will be held in the capital of Kazakhstan from July 29 to August 9.
The high-tech competition is expected to attract over 800 athletes and esports athletes representing over 50 nationalities. The total prize fund for the competition is $4.75 million.
The tournament's competitive program will cover eight main disciplines, where participants will first demonstrate their skills in a virtual space (on consoles or simulators) and then take to the real sports field. The program includes: Sports hybrids: phygital football, phygital basketball, phygital martial arts, and phygital dancing;
Esports: phygital shooters, 3D strategy games (MOBA PC and MOBA Mobile), and Battle Royale.
The tournaments will be held at Astana's largest infrastructure facilities: the Barys Arena multifunctional complex, the Qazaqstan Sports Complex, the Beeline Arena National Tennis Center, the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace, and the Alau Ice Palace.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi will be unveiled in Kazakhstan for the first time as part of the Future Games 2026 tournament.
A themed installation featuring the official Future Games mascots—the robot Ibot, the cyberwolf Ar-Lan, the girl I-Lin, and the golden eagle Alem—will be featured inside the aircraft. This exhibition will be one of the tournament's technological highlights, allowing guests to see what future transportation and urban environments might look like.
Technology will be part of not only the exhibition program but also the tournament itself. During the competition, special points will be set up at sports venues where drones will deliver prizes won by spectators.
The phygital format is gaining momentum in Central Asia, attracting young people and fostering new sports ecosystems at the intersection of IT and healthy lifestyles. Hosting such a large-scale tournament in Astana underscores the region's growing status as a leading location for international technology and sports events.
