Official draw decides opening matches at GOTF 2026

With just over three weeks to go until the Games of the Future 2026 powered by SAMRUK KAZYNA, the official group stage draw has taken place, revealing the opening matchups and each team's route to the championship title.

Hosted by Kazakhstani TV presenter and celebrity, Aminata Aisha, together with Sports TV journalist, Murager Muratov, the draw confirmed the schedule for 12 days of elite phygital competition across Astana.

Phygital Basketball

The tournament begins with one of the strongest draws across the program in Phygital Basketball – 3on3 Freestyle. Starting on 29 July, the «Qazaqstan» Athletics Sports Complex will welcome several matchups worthy of a final from day one. Historic giants Boca Juniors and European basketball powerhouse Valencia Basket headline Group D, while home favorites GTB KZ face Phygital Contenders Astana 2026 champions Zagrebacki malisani NITUI in a highly anticipated opener.

Phygital Football

Phygital Football – UFL will take over the same venue from 4 August and promises an equally explosive start. Opening day features a blockbuster clash between UEL team and NS Team, before legendary club Peñarol meets Kings League fan favorites LOS TRONCOS FC – a heavyweight encounter many expected to see much later in the tournament.

Meanwhile, defending champions Quetzales-Armadillos begin their title defense against Montenegro's KMF TITOGRAD in another standout fixture.

Phygital Shooter

Competition in Beeline Arena begins on 4 August, with Phygital Shooter – Counter-Strike 2, bringing together the world's best eight teams. The action opens with home side Team KZ taking on MIRAGE TEAM.

Phygital Dancing

Meanwhile, the dance floor comes alive on 6 August at Barys Arena as Phygital Dancing – Just Dance opens with Lala Gevorgyan facing Sogdiana Abdukhalikova, before Tiago Silva takes on Susan Huertas and Dion Visser meets Lina in a series of high-energy battles from the very first session.

MOBA PC

Headlining the esports program, MOBA PC – Dota 2 will deliver one of the most competitive draws of the tournament. Group A features powerhouses Virtus.pro and VICI GAMING, while Group D opens with a blockbuster showdown between LGD.Pinghu and Xtreme Gaming. The competition will run from 2-5 August and boasts a US$1 million prize pool.

Moba Mobile

Some of the world's leading Mobile Legends: Bang Bang teams will collide from 6-9 August in MOBA Mobile – MLBB competition. Team Falcons open their campaign against Team Spirit, while TEAM VAMOS will have a challenging first outing when they face one of the tournament favorites, Bigetron by Vitality.

Both MOBA competitions will begin behind closed doors at The Hood arcade for the group stages days before moving to the bigger stage at Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace for the quarterfinals and finals, where fans will be able to experience the action live.

Battle Royale

Taking over Beeline Arena, Battle Royale – PUBG: Battlegrounds begins on 31 July with 16 teams battling for survival. 17 Gaming occupy position one, Geekay Esports are in position seven, and Virtus.pro complete the field in the final position.

Phygital Fighting

Matchups for Phygital Fighting – FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves will be determined by invited matchmakers, to ensure the most exciting and competitive pairings possible at «Qazaqstan» Athletics Sports Complex on 8 August.

View the full competition brackets for every discipline here.

Whether you are joining us in Astana or watching from around the world, don’t miss a moment of the action by securing your tickets via Ticketon.kz or tuning in through Phygital+ and local broadcast partners.

Community streamers and creators interested in bringing the Games of the Future 2026 to their audiences can join the Games of the Future 2026 Streaming Community, where you’ll receive free official access to the live broadcast feed to co-stream the event.

For the latest news, schedules and behind-the-scenes content, follow the event's official social media channels on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.