Esports at the Olympics 2026: What Games Are Included?

A game list depends on whether we mean an IOC event or esports competitions held within another multi-sport event. Esports means organized competitive video game play in which individuals or teams compete under shared rules. Gaming is broader: people also play video games for fun, without entering a competition.

The word “Olympics” can point to two different events, which matters when we look for a lineup. The Olympic Esports Games is the International Olympic Committee’s planned event. The Asian Games is a separate regional competition, with its own esports program.

For U.S. readers, the country and event name can change what a search result means. A game listed for one competition may not belong to the other. We can save time by checking the event behind each list, rather than treating every esports event as part of the Olympic Games. For the 2026 lineup, we should keep those two event contexts separate.

Key Takeaways

• No Olympic Esports Games lineup was confirmed for 2026.
• The Asian Games held a separate esports competition in 2026.
• Its lineup had 13 game titles across 11 events.
• The IOC’s event plans remained uncertain as of May 2026.
• Check official IOC channels for any future date or title announcement.

Esports at the Olympics 2026: What Games Are Included?

There is no confirmed Olympic Esports Games lineup for 2026, and the inaugural event’s 2027 status was unknown as of May 2026. The IOC event is separate from the Asian Games.

That means a 2026 Asian Games title list cannot answer which games the IOC selected. No video game titles were confirmed for the Olympic Esports Games, including for the proposed 2027 edition.

What changed after the Saudi Arabia deal ended

The Olympic Esports Games were first planned for Riyadh in 2027 under a 12-year deal between the IOC and Saudi Arabia. On October 30, 2025, both parties agreed to end that partnership.

The end of the Saudi Arabia deal did not mean the International Olympic Committee had dropped its own event plans. The IOC said it would pursue the Olympic Esports Games independently, using a new approach to the event.

A Sports Destinations report on the ended partnership describes the change and the uncertain path ahead. The original Riyadh plan had already moved the event to 2027.

Why there is no confirmed 2027 game list

By May 2026, the Olympic Esports Commission had been disbanded, and planning had paused. The year 2027 remained possible, but whether the inaugural Games would take place then was unknown.

No game list can be treated as official without confirmed titles from the IOC. This also means no single game or team can claim a confirmed place in the event.

Readers should treat a 2027 edition as uncertain, not as a confirmed event with a published game list.

Which Games Competed at the 2026 Asian Games?

The 2026 Asian Games esports competition had 11 events using 13 game titles. That roster belongs to the Asian Games, not the IOC’s Olympic Esports Games.

The competition included 537 competitors from 29 nations. Its titles covered PC, mobile, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch games.

Platform	Game titles	Event format
PC	eFootball, Naraka: Bladepoint, Puyo Puyo Champions, League of Legends	Individual and team events
Mobile	eFootball, Honor of Kings, Identity V, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, PUBG Mobile	Team events
PlayStation 5	Gran Turismo 7, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, The King of Fighters XV	Gran Turismo 7 individual; three fighting games share one team event
Nintendo Switch	Pokémon Unite	Team event

These esports games include both individual contests and team competition. The PC and mobile lists share eFootball, so the 13 titles are distinct games across the platforms, not 14 different titles.

Readers asking for an Olympic Esports Games list for 2026 should not use this separate Asian Games roster as an IOC lineup. For a broader look at Android games such as PUBG Mobile, we can also compare its usual play options outside this competition.

The shared fighting-game event is the key reason the title count is higher than the event count.

How Would Olympic Esports Titles Be Selected?

The IOC’s concept ties eligible video games to traditional Olympic sports, with international federations selecting the titles. The link to a sport is central to that approach. This concept does not confirm a title list for the Olympic Esports Games.

International federations are groups that govern a sport around the world. The IOC’s idea connects virtual sports and video games to those sports, rather than treating every popular game as an automatic fit.

International federations connect games to traditional sports

A federation would select titles tied to its sport under the IOC concept. That link can shape which game fits an Olympic-style event, while a game’s popularity alone does not settle its place.

We should keep this idea separate from the Asian Games roster. The two competitions have different organizers and lineups, so one event’s game list does not establish the other’s choices.

The IOC’s limits on shooter formats

The IOC also stated an intention to keep first-person shooter games out of future Olympic Esports Series events. The Series is not the same event as the Olympic Esports Games, so its stated approach should not be read as a confirmed rule for the Games.

Fortnite shows why the format matters. The standard version includes shooting other characters, while the 2023 Olympic Esports Series used a modified target-shooting format.

• The IOC said it intended to exclude first-person shooters from future Series events.
• The standard Fortnite shooting format was not considered for the Series.
• Fortnite appeared in the 2023 Series in a modified target-shooting format.

Those examples describe Olympic Esports Series content and policy, not a final selection rule for the planned Games. A Series restriction should not be treated as a confirmed rule for the separate Olympic Esports Games.

How Did Asian Games Qualification and Scheduling Work?

The Asian Games esports competition ran September 22 to October 2, 2026, at the Aichi International Exhibition Center. Qualifiers for six events and titles took place in three cities between May 30 and June 21.

• Singapore: Identity V, May 30-June 1; Naraka: Bladepoint, June 4-5; Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, June 18-21.
• Kuala Lumpur: League of Legends, June 12-14; Honor of Kings, June 13-21.
• Ho Chi Minh City: PUBG Mobile, June 19-21.

For U.S. viewers, the event’s place and local time may affect how to follow matches. Check official event listings for replay availability, since coverage can differ by territory.

Conclusion

The 2026 Asian Games had a confirmed esports lineup, while the IOC’s inaugural event remained uncertain as of May 2026. We should not mistake the Asian Games esports roster for a confirmed Olympic Esports Games list.

The practical next step is to check official IOC event channels for a new announcement. A date alone would not confirm which games will compete, and a rumored title list is not an official lineup.

Before relying on a 2027 lineup, check whether the IOC has announced a new date and confirmed titles.

FAQ

What games are in the esports Olympics?

No titles are confirmed for the Olympic Esports Games. The 2026 Asian Games had a separate roster of 13 titles across 11 events, including games on PC, mobile, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. That list does not name the IOC event’s games. We should check IOC announcements for any confirmed title list or event date.

Are esports included in the Olympics?

The IOC has a plan for an Olympic Esports Games, but its timing remained uncertain as of May 2026. The IOC and Saudi Arabia ended their partnership, and planning paused after the Olympic Esports Commission was disbanded. The IOC said it would pursue its own event. The Asian Games esports competition is separate from that IOC plan.

What exactly are esports?

Esports are organized competitive video game play in which individuals or teams compete under shared rules. A tournament may use one game, a set of matches, and a defined way to decide winners. People can play the same video games for fun without joining an organized competition. The word esports refers to the competitive setting, not all gaming.

What is the difference between esports and gaming?

Esports means organized competition in video games, while gaming also includes recreational play. A person playing a game at home for fun is gaming, but that activity is not esports unless it takes place in a competition. Esports may involve solo players or teams, and players follow shared rules to decide the result.

Is the Olympic Esports Games cancelled?

The Olympic Esports Games was not confirmed as cancelled as of May 2026, but its 2027 status was unknown. The IOC and Saudi Arabia ended their partnership, yet the IOC said it would pursue its own event. Planning had paused, and the Olympic Esports Commission had been disbanded. No game titles were confirmed for a future edition.

How do teams qualify for esports at the 2026 Asian Games?

Teams qualified through tournaments for six titles held in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Ho Chi Minh City. The qualification dates ran from May 30 to June 21, 2026. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang teams qualified in Singapore from June 18 to June 21. Those tournaments were for the Asian Games, not the Olympic Esports Games.