The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced the inclusion of 11 esports titles for the 2026 Asian Games following the 93rd OCA Executive Board Meeting held in Harbin, China. This marks an expansion from the seven titles featured in the previous edition, offering more opportunities for esports athletes across India.
Spanning across mobile, PC, and console platforms, the selected titles include:
- Street Fighter 6
- Pokemon Unite
- Honor of Kings
- League of Legends (Asian Games Version)
- PUBG (Asian Games Version)
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Dreams of 3 Kingdoms
- Naroka: Bladepoint
- Grand Turismo (7)
- Efootball Series
- Puyo Puyo Champions
After being included as a demonstration event at the 2018 Asian Games, esports became an official medal sport at the 2022 Hangzhou edition. That edition featured seven esports titles, with India competing in four – League of Legends, Dota 2, EAFC, and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.
In place of EAFC, the 2026 Asian Games will feature eFootball, a title in which India’s Pavan Kampelli recently won a bronze medal at the Asian Esports Games in Bangkok. Indian players have also been consistently competing at international tournaments such as the Global Esports Games, making eFootball a promising avenue for aspiring athletes.
Nodwin co-founder and MD Akshat Rathee said, “The esports lineup for the 2026 Asian Games presents an interesting mix of titles across genres like strategy, action and sports simulation . The continued involvement of Olympic bodies in esports, from the Asian Games to the upcoming Olympic Esports Games in 2027, is a healthy signal for the industry. These are exciting times for esports and initiatives like these provide structured opportunities for players to compete at the highest level, just like traditional sports.”
Alongside eFootball, another mobile esports title where India has made its mark is Pokémon Unite. Indian teams have consistently participated in the Pokémon Unite World Championship, with S8UL qualifying to represent India on the global stage last year.
S8UL Esports co-founder Animesh Agarwal stated, “With titles like Pokémon Unite, where Indian teams, including S8UL, have made their mark on the world stage multiple times, and eFootball, in which India recently clinched a bronze at the Asian Esports Games, this expansion presents a huge opportunity for Indian athletes to shine. We have already seen the impact of titles like League of Legends and Street Fighter 6 in the last edition, and this growing recognition of esports at multi-sports international events has become the aspiration of countless Indian players.”
CyberPowerPC India chief operating officer Vishal Parekh shared, “The expanded esports lineup at the 2026 Asian Games is a significant boost for India’s esports ecosystem. The continued inclusion of titles like League of Legends, along with the newly added Naraka: Bladepoint, highlights the growing importance of PC gaming in major international tournaments.”
Max Level co-founder and CRO Siddharth Nayyar highlighted, “With the continued involvement of Olympic bodies, esports is gaining the structured recognition it deserves, opening new doors for players, brands, and investors alike. This inclusion legitimises esports as a mainstream sport with long-term career opportunities.”
As esports continues to grow as a major sporting discipline, the inclusion of more titles at the 2026 Asian Games signals a bright future for Indian esports, with new opportunities for athletes to make their mark on the global stage.