Eleven esports medal events. Thirteen game titles. Twenty-three competing nations. The 20th Asian Games opens in Aichi, Japan on 19 September 2026 — and the esports programme that runs from 23 September to 2 October at Aichi Sky Expo is the biggest the Games have ever fielded. Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile and Pokémon Unite are all on the medal slate. If you play any of those games, this schedule is worth bookmarking.
What Is the 2026 Asian Games Esports Programme?
Esports first appeared as a demonstration event at the 2018 Asian Games and earned full medal status at Hangzhou 2023, where seven titles competed. Aichi 2026 expands that to 11 medal events covering 13 game titles, with 23 nations sending players. Matches are played at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname — a short train ride south of central Nagoya, just minutes from Chubu Centrair International Airport. All competition will be streamed via the official AsianGames_2026 YouTube channel.
Singapore did not qualify for the esports events this edition, though Singapore hosted the MLBB qualifier tournament at Resorts World Sentosa in June 2026. SEA is well represented among the 23 competing nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are all sending players across the various titles.
Every Game on the Medal Slate
Here is the complete list confirmed by the Japan eSports Union (Japanese) and the Olympic Council of Asia:
- eFootball (PC & Mobile)
- Gran Turismo 7 (PlayStation 5)
- Honor of Kings (Mobile)
- Identity V — Asian Games Version (Mobile)
- League of Legends (PC)
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang — Asian Games Version (Mobile)
- Naraka: Bladepoint (PC)
- Pokémon UNITE (Nintendo Switch)
- PUBG Mobile — Asian Games Version
- Puyo Puyo eSports (PC)
- Competitive Martial Arts — Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8 and The King of Fighters XV (combined team event, PC)
The Fighting Games Are One Unique Combined Event
The most unusual format on the programme is Competitive Martial Arts. Instead of three separate medals for Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8 and The King of Fighters XV, the OCA awards a single gold medal to the nation that performs best across all three fighting games combined — each country fields players in every title and the cumulative results determine the podium. Finals day for that event is 26 September. It rewards depth across the FGC scene rather than pure mastery of one engine.
10-Day Schedule at a Glance
All times are local Japan Standard Time (JST). Singapore is JST − 1 hour, so a 10:00 JST session starts at 09:00 SGT. Preliminary rounds run each day before the times shown for key finals.
| Date | Event Finals |
|---|---|
| Tue 23 Sep | eFootball & Gran Turismo 7 |
| Wed 24 Sep | Naraka: Bladepoint (Semis) |
| Thu 25 Sep | Naraka: Bladepoint (Final) · Competitive Martial Arts (Tournament) |
| Fri 26 Sep | Puyo Puyo eSports · Competitive Martial Arts Final (SF6 / Tekken 8 / KoFXV) |
| Sat 27 Sep | Pokémon UNITE Final |
| Sun 28 Sep | Honor of Kings |
| Mon 29 Sep | PUBG Mobile Final |
| Tue 30 Sep | Identity V |
| Thu 1 Oct | Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Final |
| Fri 2 Oct | League of Legends Final |
The SEA Nations to Follow
Singapore’s gaming community is deeply invested in many of these titles. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has one of its strongest player bases in Southeast Asia — Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines routinely reach the top bracket of international tournaments and all three nations are competing here. Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 both have active local scenes across the region, and players from the Philippines and Thailand have consistently placed at international FGC events. On the Pokémon UNITE side, Japan fields a strong competitive roster and the regional final on 27 September could be one of the week’s most-watched sessions for Switch players.
The League of Legends final on 2 October closes out the entire programme — South Korea has dominated that event at previous Asian Games and will be the heavy favourite again, but Indonesia and the Philippines have been closing the gap. Whether you follow the FGC scene, MOBAs, or Battle Royale, there is something on the Aichi card for you. Block out that last week of September and the first few days of October now — these are full-medal events with national pride on the line. Follow our events coverage for post-match recaps as the Games unfold.