‘First ever’ Games of the Future conclude in Russia

The groundbreaking phygital competition saw teams from more than 100 nations take part

The Games of the Future, a first-ever phygital tournament held in Kazan, central Russia, has been a huge inspiration to the world, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko told journalists as the event came to a close on Sunday. The competition lasted for almost two weeks, and wrapped up with a closing ceremony featuring popular Russian pop artists and singers.

Invented in Russia, the ‘phygital’ (physical + digital) format at the core of the Games of the Future combines traditional sports and cybersports in a unique mix. A total of 21 combined disciplines were part of the competition.

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The games managed to attract a massive global audience, according to Chernyshenko. Viewership numbers reached around 2.2 billion, he told journalists on Saturday, although official figures have not yet been made public. The final day of the games included several finals in some of the most entertaining and popular disciplines like phygital football, skateboarding, and racing.

According to the Russian media, the tournament attracted more than 270 teams, including over 2,000 athletes from 107 nations. The games featured events ranging from phygital football, hockey, and basketball to more traditional cybersports and high-tech contests such as drone racing, competitive programming, and robot battles.

Competitive programming reportedly had one of the highest individual discipline prize funds, with the winner getting 4.5 million rubles ($ 49,050).

The games have become an “internationally recognized brand,” Chernyshenko said during the closing ceremony, adding that Russia “has once again proven its leading role in the global sports community.” He also praised all the tournament participants by calling them “pioneers of the phygital sports” that had “inspired the world.”

According to the deputy prime minister, as many as 63 nations have started holding similar tournaments at home. As many as nine countries have also expressed willingness to host the next such international event.