First Phygital International Games Launched in Russia

The official launch of the 300-day countdown to the Games of the Future was held in Kazan, the city hosting the Games, and Moscow. The countdown launch ceremony featured famous Russian athletes and was co-hosted by an AI voice assistant.

The Games of the Future is a unique international tournament supporting the phygital* concept that unites classic sport, eSports and technologies. The Games will feature 16 innovative disciplines, each of them combining classic sports and cybersports in a single competitive process. All disciplines are divided into five categories: sport, tactical, combat, technical and Speed-Run.

The sport challenge is an innovative double-event where athletes compete at first in a videogame and then in its physical analogue. The tactical challenge combines several disciplines where laser tag is coupled with videogames of the genres like shooter and Battle Royale. In the combat challenge athletes must prove their mettle in videogames of the genre MOBA (the winners will meet in the Phygital Super Final). The technical challenge includes drone racing and robot fights. The challenge of Speed-Run consists of two parts: speed games and the Phygital Super Final.

The Games of the Future will take place from February 23 to March 2, 2024, and will bring together around 2,000 participants, with the total prize fund of $25 million. The eхpected number of viewers on streaming platforms is over 150 million.

Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko and Rais (Head) of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov took part in the launch of the countdown. According to Chernyshenko, the Games of the Future is more than just a sport, as it lies at the intersection of science, education, technology and sports, which is important for harmonious development of individuals. “We are looking forward to spectacular competitions and the famous hospitality of Tatarstan. More than 50 countries have already expressed their interest to take part in the Games of the Future, and athletes from 15 countries are taking part in the Phygital Games organized on the eve of our main tournament” – commented Chernyshenko.

In preparation for the Games of the Future, Kazan is hosting Phygital Games – a series of competitions meant to showcase phygital sports. The upcoming events include phygital football and tactical combat games in May 15-19, 2023, as well as phygital hockey competitions in June. Every Phygital Games tournament has its own prize pool. The phygital games will be livestreamed and available worldwide. Participation in the Games of the Future and Phygital Games-2024 is open for athelets from any country.