The days keep passing in similar fashion for fans awaiting the
2026 Asian Games. After
Thailand and
Japan, Indonesia has now announced its withdrawal from the
League of Legends tournament for the second time in its history, having already missed the 2022 edition held in China. For now, the exact dates of the tournament on Riot Games’ MOBA remain unknown, but the Asian Games will take place from September 23 to October 2 between Aichi and Nagoya in Japan.
In a statement published on the website of
Antara News, the Indonesian press agency, the head coach of the Indonesian national esports team, Richard "
frgd[ibtJ]" Permana, confirmed that the country will compete in nine of the eleven titles featured at the Asian Games. The Southeast Asian nation will therefore not field teams in
LoL and
Puyo Puyo Champions but will be active in
Honor of Kings, fighting games, and
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, where it is considered among the favorites. It is the third country in the region to announce its non-participation, following Thailand in early February and Japan.
Indonesia is undoubtedly the least surprising announcement of the three, as
League of Legends does not appear to be developing in the country, despite its participation at the
2018 Asian Games. As host of the event, where esports made its debut, the nation had sent a delegation. The Indonesian team finished last in its group, behind Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan (Chinese Taipei), with six losses in six matches. According to information available on
Liquipedia, Indonesia did not even take part in the Southeast Asian qualification tournament for the 2022 Asian Games.
The statement also indicates that further details about the competition, including potential dates and formats, will be announced in March, along with the qualification process. Given that the host nation will not participate, no teams have been officially confirmed so far, although it is reasonable to expect that South Korea, China, and Taiwan will compete in Aichi, as they are among the favorites. As for the remaining spots,
Jonathan Sirisackda, president of the Lao Esports Federation, revealed that a qualification tournament will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, around mid-June.
