With esports returning as an official medal event at the 20th Asian Games 2026 at Aichi Sky Expo, Honor of Kings (HOK) is celebrating a milestone that extends beyond competition: the growing recognition of esports alongside traditional sports on one of Asia’s most prestigious stages.
The Asian Games has long represented the pinnacle of sporting achievement across the continent. For millions of players and fans across the region, seeing esports players compete under their national flags carries significance far beyond the results on the scoreboard. It reflects the dedication, discipline and national pride shared by players across both traditional and digital arenas, while providing a global platform for gaming communities to celebrate their shared passion for the game.
The significance of that moment was brought to life in the HOK competition, which concluded on 28 September with Team China claiming the gold medal, Team Malaysia securing silver and Team Philippines and Team Hong Kong (China) sharing the bronze medal. Competing under their national flags on the Asian Games stage, the teams brought together competitive excellence and national pride, marking a significant moment for players and the communities supporting them across the region.
“Esports at the Asian Games is about more than medals,” said Jackie Huang, Head of Honor of Kings Global Esports, TiMi Studio Group, Tencent Games. “It demonstrates how gaming can unite people across borders, generations and backgrounds. By bringing esports onto one of Asia’s most respected sporting stages, the Asian Games has helped showcase the commitment and competitive excellence that define esports today.”
Where Athletes and Esports Players Stand Together
Throughout the Asian Games journey, HOK highlighted the shared values that unite esports players and traditional sports competitors through a series of cross-domain collaborations.
Olympic and Asian sporting stars including the Philippines’ Carlos Yulo, Malaysia’s athlete Sim Welson showed their support for HOK esports players competing on the Asian Games stage. While they represent different disciplines, all share a common pursuit: the honour of representing their countries and inspiring the communities behind them.
The partnerships underscored how both traditional sports and esports are built upon the same foundations of perseverance, teamwork and excellence, while reinforcing the growing connection between the two disciplines.
Bringing the Asian Games Closer to Players
The 2026 Asian Games Esports Event: Honor of Kings journey extended well beyond the main event in Aichi-Nagoya. A total of 23 countries and regions initially registered for the qualifiers, with 10 progressing to compete at the main event. The strong participation throughout the journey reflects the growing scale of HOK esports across Asia and the shared excitement of representing national teams on the Asian Games stage.
Beyond the competition itself, HOK created more opportunities for players and fans to participate in the Asian Games experience. Across Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Korea, HOK hosted dedicated fan support events that combined gameplay activities with community experiences, giving players opportunities to rally behind their national teams and celebrate the event together.
Esports creators also joined players at selected events to watch and cheer on the competition, while each market introduced locally tailored activities to encourage participation. From live cheering activities in Indonesia and poetry-based messages of support in Malaysia, to an interactive cheering-themed Q&A in the Philippines, these activities gave players the opportunity to play, cheer and engage with their local communities while sharing in the excitement and national pride of the Asian Games.
HOK also launched the Asian Games HOK Cheer Voice Co-Creation initiative during the qualification stage in June, inviting players across the region to submit messages of encouragement for their national teams. Following community voting, the top-voted submission from each participating region was transformed into an in-game Cheer Voice Pack and brought to life through collaborations with popular creators and personalities, including Sim Welson in Malaysia, Poii in Indonesia, and Chammy, Sh1nboo and Chazz in the Philippines during the Asian Games period.
By bringing together players, creators and national teams through a shared experience, the initiative enabled fans to play an active role in the Asian Games journey. From contributing the voices heard in-game to gathering with fellow players to support their national teams, HOK sought to bring the spirit of the Asian Games closer to its community and strengthen players’ connection to both the competition and the teams representing their countries.
A New Chapter for Esports in Asia
As esports continues to evolve, major multi-sport events such as the Asian Games play an important role in expanding public understanding of competitive gaming. For HOK, the significance of the Asian Games lies not only in the matches played, but also in what they represent: a future in which esports gains greater recognition within the broader sporting ecosystem, talented players can compete on the biggest stages, and communities can come together through a shared passion for the game.
As the curtain falls on the 20th Asian Games 2026, HOK celebrates more than the medal winners, recognising the players, fans and communities who came together throughout the journey. Guided by the spirit of Together We Shine, HOK remains committed to creating opportunities for players and fans to come together, pursue excellence, and share unforgettable moments on and beyond the competitive stage.
