The Games of the Future kick off in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, bringing a futuristic yet familiar vision of sport.
Being held at Adnec from December 18 to 23, the global tournament blends physical competition with digital gaming, encouraging younger generations to move between the pitch and the screen.
Known as phygital sport, the format challenges conventional ideas of athleticism. Success depends not only on physical strength, speed and teamwork, but also on strategic thinking and technical skill in competitive gaming environments.
Stephane Timpano, chief executive at Aspire and organiser of the Games of the Future Abu Dhabi 2025, says the concept mirrors a cultural shift.
“This is the second edition of the Games of the Future after a successful one in Kazan in 2024,” he tells The National. “It is a nascent concept, but we see the value of it going forward.”
The value, Timpano explains, lies in bridging two worlds that younger generations already inhabit with ease. “The beauty of this concept is mixing the old way of doing sports physically on the pitch with the new skills that a lot of the young generation has developed around gaming,” he says.
Around 850 competitors will take part in this year’s event, representing clubs rather than countries and arriving from more than 60 nations. Many of them are not newcomers to hybrid competition. According to Timpano, club-level experimentation with digital and physical formats has been happening quietly for years.
That balance is central to how the competition is structured. In disciplines such as phygital football and basketball, matches are split between digital and physical play. A game might begin on a console before moving to the pitch, with outcomes determined by performance across both formats.
“You can’t be a good digital athlete if you don’t have a good level in both sports,” Timpano says. “If you play basketball on the console and basketball on a pitch, you need to be competitive in both.”
The structure leaves little room for specialisation. In phygital football, for example, the players who compete digitally are selected by draw, meaning any team member could be called upon to represent their side on a console before returning to the physical match.
“So you can’t afford to have a weak team member in a physical or in digital,” Timpano says. “You have to have both competences.”
Beyond football and basketball, the Games of the Future programme includes disciplines that lean more heavily into technology while retaining a physical dimension. Drone racing will see pilots compete using custom-built drones, while robot battles revive a concept familiar to earlier generations, now reimagined through modern engineering.
“It’s the same concept, but 30 or 40 years later with more aggressive robots that are managed by the team,” Timpano says. “Here it’s all about building the best robot and then fighting in the arena.”
A large-scale laser tag competition will also feature, staged across a 50-metre by 50-metre arena, alongside Counter-Strike matches, creating parallel physical and digital contests within the same space.
Compared to the inaugural event, the Abu Dhabi tournament places a stronger emphasis on competitive standards and production quality. Team selection has been more rigorous, while the event set-up reflects what Timpano calls a distinctive local approach.
“The set-up, as you will see, is magnificent,” he says. “That’s what we call the UAE touch.”
The Games of the Future also aligns closely with national priorities. Hosted under the We the UAE 2031 vision and during the Year of Community, the event positions Abu Dhabi as a hub for innovation, youth empowerment and cultural exchange.
UAE Minister of Sports Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi described the tournament as a significant step in strengthening the country’s global standing.
“The Games of the Future 2025 merges athletic performance with technology, inspiring youth, driving sports innovation, fostering teamwork among youth and supporting a sustainable economy based on innovation and knowledge,” he said.
Al Falasi added that the event reflects the We the UAE 2031 vision by “empowering youth, advancing the digital economy and strengthening the global standing of Emirati sports”.
Alongside competition, visitors will find fan zones, interactive activations and showcases designed to appeal to a broad audience, from dedicated gamers to families and casual spectators.
Looking to the future, Timpano believes the Games of the Future may offer insight into how sport itself will continue to evolve.
“Ten years from now, maybe earlier, the technology will be really embedded in what is sport today,” he says. “I won’t be surprised that what the Games of the Future is doing today will bring tomorrow ideas of new competition and new format of sport.”
Tickets for the Games of the Future 2025 are available at gotfabudhabi.com
