Esports, in which competitors face off in computer games, will return as an official medal event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture, following its debut at the 2022 Games in Hangzhou, China.

Co-hosted by the Aichi prefectural and Nagoya city governments, the Games will run from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, 2026, bringing together athletes from 45 countries and regions to compete in 41 sports, including athletics and swimming.

It will mark the first time that a large-scale international esports program spanning multiple categories, such as fighting and puzzle games, has ever been staged in Japan.