Kuwait to host new Asian esports event in 2027
Kuwait will host the inaugural Asian Esports and Mind Sports Games in 2027, with around 4,000 athletes expected to take part in the new competition.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) confirmed Kuwait as host after signing the Host City Contract on the sidelines of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
The event will bring esports together with mind sports in a standalone continental competition, although the full programme of games and disciplines has yet to be announced.
The OCA said the event is intended to create more competitive opportunities for athletes while supporting the development of esports and mind sports across Asia.
The decision follows an earlier move by the OCA Executive Board to establish a separate competition for esports and mind sports after the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. In November 2024, the board approved a proposal to remove esports from the Asian Games programme following the 2026 edition and create a separate Asian Esports and Mind Games.
Esports remains part of the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, with competitions spanning a range of game genres. The OCA recognises esports disciplines including multiplayer online battle arena games, fighting games, real-time strategy, sports titles and first-person shooter and battle royale games.
“We are delighted to sign the host city contract with Kuwait to stage the first edition of the Asian Esports and Mind Sports Games,” said OCA President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani.
He said the new competition would create further opportunities for athletes across Asia to showcase their talent and support the development of the continent’s diverse sporting interests.
The Kuwait Olympic Committee said the decision to award the event to the country reflected confidence in Kuwait’s ability to organise major sporting competitions.
The 2027 Games will also be the first new event launched under Sheikh Joaan’s presidency of the OCA.
Attention is already turning to the competition’s second edition. The OCA is in discussions with the Philippines over hosting the Games in 2029, with a decision expected at the OCA General Assembly in Doha in 2027.
Dates, venues and the esports titles that will feature at the inaugural Kuwait event have not
yet been announced.
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