The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced on Sept. 20 that it had signed a Host City Contract with Kuwait to stage the inaugural Asian Esports and Mind Sports Games in 2027. The OCA said the event is expected to involve 4,000 athletes. Its announcement did not name a host city or provide competition dates.
The OCA said the Games programme would be announced later. It is also discussing the Philippines as a possible host for the second edition in 2029; the OCA said a decision is expected at its 2027 General Assembly in Doha. That second host has not been confirmed.
The agreement puts a host and year behind the OCA’s separate continental event plan. At its 90th Executive Board meeting on Nov. 26, 2024, the OCA unanimously approved a proposal to remove esports from the Asian Games Programme after Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and hold separate Asian Esports and Mind Games. The decision is background to the new event; the OCA’s current announcement gives the inaugural Games the name Asian Esports and Mind Sports Games.
The 2024 decision concerns the programme after Aichi-Nagoya, while esports remains part of the 2026 Asian Games. The Kuwait announcement does not set out the final sports programme for Doha 2030, and the OCA has not yet announced the new Games’ competition titles.
Update — September 28, 2026
The OCA said it had made or published no decision for esports to leave the Asian Games. It said the 2027 Asian Esports and Mind Sports Games would not weaken esports’ role in the Games, and that it would continue supporting esports development in Asia and promoting it at other OCA events. OCA statement
The statement does not explain its apparent difference from the 2024 meeting record cited above. The OCA also said the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 esports competition was underway with 11 events and participating national and regional teams.
