Games of the Future 2025 won two gold Eventex Awards after its Abu Dhabi edition
Games of the Future 2025, an international competition that combines physical sport, esport and technology in the so-called phygital format, received new industry recognition several months after being held in Abu Dhabi. According to an announcement by the organizers of Games of the Future and Phygital International, the edition held in the capital of the United Arab Emirates won two gold awards at the Eventex Awards 2026, in the Esports Event and Hybrid Event categories. This further strengthened the international visibility of the event, which in December 2025 was presented as the first major hybrid, or phygital, mega-event in the UAE, within the events, sports and digital entertainment industries.
This is recognition that comes after the edition held from 18 to 23 December 2025 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, with the official opening ceremony on 17 December. According to official data from the organizers, more than 850 competitors from more than 60 countries took part in the program, and the competitions were arranged across 11 disciplines. The format combined physical performance, digital gaming, technological sports and classic esport disciplines, with results in certain disciplines based on success in both the virtual and real parts of the competition. It was precisely this combination that was one of the main reasons why the event was presented in the international events industry as an example of a new model of sporting spectacle.
Two gold awards for esport and the hybrid format
According to the announcement by Phygital International, Games of the Future 2025 was awarded gold at the Eventex Awards 2026 in the Esports Event and Hybrid Event categories. Eventex Awards is presented as one of the best-known international recognitions for events and experiential marketing, with an emphasis on creativity, innovation, effectiveness and audience engagement. For Games of the Future, this is an important recognition because the two winning categories are directly connected with its core idea: combining esport, physical sport and the production of a major event into a unique format.
In their announcement, the organizers emphasized that the recognition came after the Abu Dhabi edition, which was intended to show how competitive sport can develop in an environment in which the audience simultaneously follows digital play, physical performance and technological attractions. According to Games of the Future data, more than 40,000 visitors followed the event live, while the global distribution of content recorded 461 million broadcast views. The organizers also state that the event had 27 international broadcast and streaming partners, as well as broadcasts and content in more than 13 languages, which significantly expanded its reach beyond the venue itself.
John Hewitt, international director of marketing and communications at Phygital International, said in the organization’s announcement that the awards were recognition for everyone involved in Games of the Future 2025 and confirmation of the growth of phygital sport on the global stage. According to his words, the audience response in Abu Dhabi showed growing interest in sports and entertainment experiences that are oriented toward technology and new formats of competition. Such an assessment fits into the organizers’ broader narrative, according to which Games of the Future is not only a tournament, but a platform for the development of a sport that relies on digital culture, gaming and physical ability.
Abu Dhabi as host of a new sporting format
The event was held under the patronage of the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the state agency WAM announced before the start of the competition. According to the same source, Games of the Future Abu Dhabi 2025 was powered by ADNOC, while local implementation was led by ASPIRE in cooperation with Ethara as event delivery partner and Phygital International as the global rights holder. Key institutional support was also provided by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the UAE Ministry of Sports and other stakeholders involved in positioning Abu Dhabi as a hub for sport, technology and major international events.
ASPIRE, which operates within Abu Dhabi’s broader innovation ecosystem, states on its official website that it was the official local delivery authority for Games of the Future 2025. According to the organization’s description, the event was conceived as an international competition that combines traditional sports and esport in a phygital format, in which physical skill is complemented by digital gameplay. Such an approach was intended, according to ASPIRE, to support Abu Dhabi’s ambition to be a space for future technologies, innovation and new models of sporting experience.
Even before the event was held, Abu Dhabi emphasized that it saw phygital sport as a format aligned with changes in the habits of younger audiences and the global growth of the gaming industry. Faisal Al Bannai, adviser to the UAE President and secretary general of the Advanced Technology Research Council, according to the WAM announcement, stated that phygital sport represents more than a new format because it reflects the mindset of a new generation. In the same announcement, Stephane Timpano, CEO of ASPIRE, pointed out that technology is also changing sport and that digital platforms, immersive gaming environments and real-time analytics are opening new forms of competition and audience involvement.
What phygital sport means
The term phygital was created by combining the words physical and digital, and in the sporting context it denotes competitions in which physical performance and digital play are not treated as separate worlds, but as parts of the same result. According to WAM’s explanation, clubs and competitors may first face each other in the virtual segment and then in the physical arena, with combined results determining the winner. Such a format requires a broader set of skills than classic sport or classic esport because competitors must simultaneously show tactical understanding of the game, digital precision, physical fitness and the ability to adapt.
Games of the Future 2025 therefore included disciplines ranging from phygital football and phygital 3-on-3 basketball to digital shooters, dance games, combat formats, MOBA competitions, drone racing, robot battles and VR formats. The organizers especially highlighted Battle of Robots, for which, according to their data, 2.48 tonnes of robots were brought into the UAE, as well as the regional debut of the VR Game.HADO Global Invitation in the Middle East. Such elements show that the event was designed as a combination of a sports tournament, a technology fair, an entertainment program and a global digital broadcast.
For the audience, the way such competitions are followed is also important. A classic sporting event relies on the field, stands and television broadcast, while the phygital format includes multiple layers: the physical arena, the digital interface, the stream, real-time data and interaction with gaming communities. According to the Games of the Future announcement after the end of the Abu Dhabi edition, the organizers emphasized that full arenas, immersive experiences for visitors and global online reach showed how the sports audience is expanding toward generations that grew up with digital platforms.
The figures that accompanied the Abu Dhabi edition
Official data from the organizers state that Games of the Future Abu Dhabi 2025 lasted six competitive days and brought together more than 850 participants from more than 60 countries. Competition took place in 11 disciplines, and the age range of participants, according to the Games of the Future announcement after the event ended, ranged from 13 to 72 years. The organizers presented this fact as proof of the format’s inclusiveness and its ability to connect different generations, although in its communication the event primarily addressed a younger audience, esport fans, sports communities and technologically oriented viewers.
In the competitive part, according to the World Phygital Community, clubs reached Abu Dhabi through qualifying and development pathways called Phygital Origins and Phygital Rivals. In phygital football, victory was taken by Mexico Quetzales, which, according to the WPC announcement, had previously passed through the qualifying stages and then won the final trophy in Abu Dhabi. WPC cited this example as an illustration of a system in which clubs do not appear only at the final event, but build their path to the global stage through a longer competition cycle.
The organizers also highlighted strong digital reach. According to Games of the Future and Phygital International, the Abu Dhabi edition achieved 461 million broadcast views, and broadcasts were available via the official OTT platform and a network of international partners. Such data should be viewed in the context of the growing interest of sports and entertainment event organizers in distribution beyond traditional television. With hybrid formats, it is especially important that the audience does not have to be physically present in the hall in order to follow multiple simultaneous disciplines, results, clips and community reactions.
Awards as confirmation of a broader strategy
The two Eventex Awards for Games of the Future 2025 have a meaning broader than the industry confirmation of a single event. They also confirm the direction in which the organizers want to develop phygital sport: as a global product that can attract host cities, sponsors, technology partners, sports clubs, gaming communities and broadcasters. In communication after the event, Phygital International emphasized that interest in hosting future editions is open for 2028, 2029 and 2030, which shows that the project is planned to develop as a multi-year international cycle, not as a one-off experiment.
In that context, Abu Dhabi served as an important test for a model that combines a major sporting event and a technological spectacle. In recent years, the city has invested heavily in international events, sports infrastructure, innovation and digital industries, so Games of the Future 2025 was integrated into a broader strategy of presenting the emirate as a space for new forms of entertainment and competition. According to WAM’s official announcement, alongside competitions the event also included the Phygital Sports Summit, a forum intended for experts, athletes, innovators and decision-makers who discuss the development of hybrid sports, youth engagement, athlete well-being and the role of technology.
However, the long-term success of the phygital format will depend on several factors. Competitions must be sufficiently understandable to a wider audience, the rules must be clear and stable, and the relationship between the physical and digital segments must be sportingly convincing. In addition, the organizers must ensure that events do not rely only on technological novelty, but also on recognizable clubs, competitive stories and season continuity. That is precisely why qualification pathways, the international community and broadcasts are key elements for continued development.
The next edition moves to Astana
After the end of the Abu Dhabi edition, the organizers announced that attention is turning to Astana in Kazakhstan, the host of Games of the Future 2026. According to announcements by Games of the Future and the World Phygital Community, Astana will also host Phygital Contenders tournaments before the main event, which serve as part of the competitive pathway toward the final. This seeks to maintain continuity between annual editions and enable clubs and athletes to qualify through a structured system, instead of the final tournament being isolated from the rest of the season.
For Abu Dhabi, the two gold Eventex Awards remain confirmation that the December 2025 edition was recognized beyond the narrower circle of sports and gaming communities. For Games of the Future, this is an additional argument in the effort to present phygital sport as a relevant global format, and for the Eventex awards an example of an event that fits into the trends of hybrid production, digital reach and experiential entertainment. According to available official data, the project is now entering a new phase in which its sustainability will be measured by its ability to retain audiences, attract new hosts and build a recognizable competitive identity.
Sources:
- Games of the Future – announcement about the two gold Eventex Awards 2026 and data on the event’s reach (link)
- Phygital International – announcement about the Eventex Awards 2026 and John Hewitt’s statement (link)
- Games of the Future – report after the end of the Abu Dhabi edition and data on disciplines, participants and broadcasts (link)
- World Phygital Community – report on the competition system and results from Abu Dhabi (link)
- Emirates News Agency WAM – event announcement, institutional context, format and organizers (link)
- ASPIRE – official description of the role of the local delivery authority and the phygital format (link)
- Eventex Awards – official description of the awards and their position in the events industry (link)