Registrations open for National Esports Championships 2026

The Esports Federation of India has opened registrations for NESC 2026, the national qualifier for the 2026 Asian Games. India will compete in 10 esports titles, and athletes will earn a chance to represent the country across eight medal events

Hyderabad: The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) has officially opened registrations for the National Esports Championships 2026 (NESC 2026), the national qualification tournament that will determine India’s esports contingent for the 2026 Asian Games.

At this edition of the Games, India will have the opportunity to compete across 10 video game titles, marking a significant moment as the Asian Games is scheduled to be held in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026.

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Registrations for NESC 2026 will be open from February 21 to March 7, 2026.

The championship will serve as the official selection platform to identify and finalise athletes who will represent India at the Asian Games, where esports will feature as a full-fledged medal event for only the second time, since the Hangzhou Asian Games held in China in 2023 (2022).

The 2026 Asian Games includes a total of 13 esports titles, of which India will be competing in 10. The NESC 2026 qualification will feature competition across titles confirmed under the Asian Games Esports Program and will include Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, The King of Fighters XV (clubbed as one team event), Pokémon Unite, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version), Puyo Puyo, Naraka: Bladepoint, eFootball and Gran Turismo. Through NESC 2026, ESFI will identify and select athletes to represent India across eight medal events, offering a cumulative medal opportunity of up to 24 medals at the continental showcase.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr Vinod Kumar Tiwari, President, Esports Federation of India, said, “The National Esports Championships 2026 marks a defining step in India’s journey towards the Asian Games. With esports now firmly established as a medal event, our focus is on identifying and nurturing the very best talent the country has to offer. NESC 2026 provides a fair, competitive, and transparent platform for athletes to earn their place in the national squad. We encourage players from across India to step forward, compete with determination, and seize this opportunity to represent the nation on one of Asia’s biggest sporting stages.”