‘eFootball’, ‘Street Fighter’ and ‘Gran Turismo 7’: Asian Games to feature esports for second time with 11 medal events

The 2024 Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, will include esports as an official medal event for the second time, scheduled from September 19 to October 4. Organizers have announced 11 competitive gaming titles, featuring *eFootball*, *Gran Turismo 7*, and a *Street Fighter* team event, aiming to expand the sport’s global appeal. Esports first appeared as a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, which was postponed to 2023 due to COVID-19. It had previously been a demonstration event in 2018 at the Jakarta Games. Japan’s qualification tournament for the 2024 event took place in Tokoname, Aichi, in March, attracting around 10,000 spectators over two days. Masato Ochi, vice chairman of the Japan Esports Union (JESU), called the inclusion of esports in the Asian Games a ‘major turning point’ for the industry. He noted that while many people in Japan are familiar with the term ‘esports,’ awareness of the sport itself remains limited, and the event could help grow participation. According to JESU, Japan’s esports fanbase—including viewers of matches and streaming content—reached approximately 9.67 million in 2024. The domestic market is projected to grow to ¥16.1 billion (RM400 million), a 9.9% increase from the previous year. A Japan team member, Higuchi, emphasized the importance of leveraging home advantage to perform at their best. The event aims to solidify esports’ place in mainstream sports, building on its growing popularity and infrastructure in Japan.