Games of the Future 2025 secures pair of major global accolades



Last year's Games of the Future in Abu Dhabi, the UAE's first large-scale hybrid, phygital mega-event, has recently collected two significant international industry awards, further strengthening the capital city's growing reputation.

The event received Gold Awards in the categories of Hybrid Event and Esports Event, recognising both its bold fusion of physical sport with immersive digital competition and the scale and quality of its top-tier gaming tournaments, featuring titles such as Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Fortnite.

These awards highlight the success and international reach of Games of the Future Abu Dhabi 2025, which brought phygital sport to the Middle East on an unprecedented scale. Staged across the majestic ADNEC Centre in Abu Dhabi, the event featured 11 high-energy disciplines spanning esports, traditional sport, robotics, drone racing and virtual reality, supported by a forward-leaning broadcast model built for both in-person spectators and digital audiences.

Delivered in partnership with ASPIRE and Ethara, and backed by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the UAE Ministry of Sport, GOTF Abu Dhabi 2025 brought together more than 850 athletes from over 60 nationalities. It generated substantial international engagement, attracting more than 41,000 spectators and recording over 60.3 million live views and 461 million broadcast views, accumulating 105 million hours watched across 90 countries worldwide.

The recognition underscores Abu Dhabi's ability to stage complex, large-scale international events that blend sport, technology and entertainment, while also supporting the UAE's broader ambitions in innovation, youth engagement and digital development.

"Winning these awards is a moment of pride for everyone involved in Games of the Future Abu Dhabi 2025 and an important acknowledgement of the growing global momentum behind phygital sport", said John Hewitt, International Director of Marketing and Communications at Phygital International. "Abu Dhabi delivered a landmark edition of the Games, showing how sport, gaming and technology can come together at international scale. The response from fans, athletes and partners underlined the rising demand for next-generation sporting experiences and reinforced phygital sport's position as an increasingly important part of the future of global competition."

The next edition, Games of the Future 2026, will take place in Astana from 29 July to 9 August, bringing together more than 800 athletes from over 50 nationalities across a wide range of phygital and technology-driven disciplines. Building on the momentum of the Abu Dhabi edition, the bid window is now open for the 2028, 2029 and 2030 editions, as Phygital International continues to expand the Games worldwide and invites forward-looking cities to help shape the future of sport and entertainment.

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