The exact date of the
League of Legends tournament at the 2026 Asian Games is not yet known, but nations have already started working on their selections, such as
South Korea. Thailand, however, has just revealed that it will not take part in this game. Riot Games’ MOBA will indeed be one of the medal events at these 20th Asian Games, which will be held from September 19 to October 4 in Japan, between Aichi and Nagoya.
Where is League of Legends? Credit: TESF
In a
statement published on Facebook on Saturday, February 7, the Thailand Esports Federation revealed the games its players will compete in, a list from which
League of Legends is absent. Despite taking part in the previous edition in 2022 in Hangzhou, China, the Southeast Asian country will not field a lineup this time. In its statement, the federation appears to cite budgetary and policy constraints that led to this situation without going into detail:
In order to ensure that operations are aligned with policy and with a budget appropriate to the National Sports Development Fund, the Thailand Esports Federation has jointly considered, together with the Sports Authority of Thailand, the determination of game titles and the number of athlete representatives for the selection process to participate in the 20th Asian Games.
Hard to understand for the community
This decision has angered many followers of the local scene, who made their feelings clear in replies on Facebook. Some argued, for example, that “W
e have a Thai scene all year, and you still don’t send them,” pointing to the existence of the LTS (
League of Legends Thailand Series). The disappointment is even greater for fans, given that a Thai team traveled to Vietnam last November for the Esports Championships Asia and to the
Cross Regional in April 2025, two tournaments that were ideal opportunities to start preparing for such a major event, especially since nation-based competitions are so rare.
Beyond LoL, several other games will also be medal events at the 2026 Asian Games, including Gran Turismo 7, eFootball, and Naraka: Bladepoint on PC. For mobile esports fans, the Asian Games will feature Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, the three giants of the sector, as well as Puyo Puyo Champions, Identity V, and Pokémon Unite. In addition, the Asian Games will introduce a brand-new event with team-based fighting games, combining Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV.
