MOSCOW, September 13. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko has invited each and every club team from around the world to participate in the inaugural Games of the Future in Russia’s Kazan next year, his press office said in a statement on Wednesday.
Speaking at the plenary session of the 2023 Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) on September 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on companies tied to the state to pay attention to cybersports and render support to it.
"As our president correctly pointed out, cybersports are popular around the globe and Russian competitors are at the top of the class there," the statement quoted Chernyshenko as saying. "Support at such a high level is a big plus here."
"In line with the presidential decree, in 2024, Kazan will host the world’s first ever multisports tournament, the Games of the Future. The high-tech Phygital movement, which was invented by Russia, combines sports, IT and science, and has already attracted athletes from 38 countries," he continued.
"This movement gives modern youth what they want in terms of developing their digital skills, while at the same time engaging them in classical sports activities," Chernyshenko noted. "Thus, we have aligned this movement to meet the in-demand skills of today."
"State support of IT companies boosts the development of cybersports and Phygital sports. I would like to note that in line with Vladimir Putin’s instructions, the government will continue coming up with international events in new formats that are based on the principles of justice and fair competition," Chernyshenko, who oversees issues of sports, culture and tourism in the Russian government, stated.
"We invite club teams from all countries to the Games of the Future," the deputy premier added.
The inaugural cybersport Games of the Future in 2024 will consist of new disciplines using advanced technology, the digital environment and physical activity. The competitions are designed to use cutting-edge developments in cybersports, robotics, both augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR), information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI). The tournament offers $25 million in prize money.
As part of the preparations for the Games of the Future, Russia has organized a series of Phygital Games. The first Phygital Games were held on September 21-23, 2022, the second - from November 24 through December 10, 2022, the third - on February 5-11, and the fourth - on March 9-10. The 5th edition of the Phygital Games was hosted by Kazan on May 16-19.
The Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) is taking place in Vladivostok on September 10-13. The slogan for this year’s forum is: On the Path to Partnership, Peace and Prosperity. The Roscongress Foundation is the event organizer. TASS is the EEF’s general information partner.