The forthcoming Commonwealth Games 2026 will not feature Esports as a medalled event. The games are set to be held in Victoria (Australia), CWG 2026 will include three new medal events, of which Esports has not been included in the list. Organizers of Commonwealth Games 2026 have not shared any details regarding this case.
The inaugural edition of the Commonwealth Esports Championships and Commonwealth Games Forum have been staged to take place in Birmingham, England this year. Competitive Gaming is featured at this year’s games at Birmingham through a partnership between the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and Global Esports Federation (GEF), announced in May 2020. The British Esports Association, a non-profit national organisation founded in 2016 to promote E-sports in the UK, raise awareness, enhance standards, and inspire future talent, has given its support to this year’s games at Birmingham.
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Esports Removed as a Medalled Sport from Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2026
Despite the fact that the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships were held independently of the Games and its programme, with no official medals given, CGF president Dame Louise Martin stated that she anticipated it to be included “going forward.”
The Indian DOTA 2 team marked history by clinching a bronze medal at the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championships 2022 by defeating New Zealand in a BO3 match. The team comprised Moin Ejaz (captain), Ketan Goyal, Abhishek Yadav, Shubham Goli, and Vishal Vernekar.
However, the organisers of Victoria 2026 have stated that competitive gaming would not be included in the upcoming edition of CWG 2026. Specific reasons for this move are scant, but the BBC news report claims that doping in competitive gaming may have been a factor and there were concerns that organising year-round drug testing across the numerous game titles would be difficult.
The committee has introduced Inshore rowing, BMX and golf as new sports for the upcoming edition. Despite successful competitive gaming titles like Rocket League and Dota 2, they have failed to draw significant attention from viewers.
“While they weren’t successful this time, the Commonwealth Games Federation and Global Esports Federation will keep working on an inclusion pathway for this growing sport,” said a spokeswoman for the 2026 Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee told BBC News.
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The Global E-sports Federation, one of the parties involved in the Commonwealth Esports Championships, is an organisation that organises events and collaborates with game officials and developers to promote E-sports. This organisation is primarily responsible for the Global Esports Tour, a tournament series that features major competitive gaming titles.
It is also worth mentioning that, while E-sports will not be an officially recognised discipline at the 2026 Games, they may still be present.
