Phygital Basketball Is Back: 3on3 Freestyle Confirmed as Official Game Title for the Games of the Future 2026

Dubai, UAE - April 11, 2026: The Games of the Future (GOTF) has announced that 3on3 Freestyle, developed and published by Joycity, will feature as the official game title for Phygital Basketball at the Games of the Future 2026, taking place this summer in Astana. 3on3 Freestyle brings its signature street-style energy and fast-paced gameplay to the world’s leading phygital sports event, where digital competition and real-world athletic performance come together.
 

The Phygital Basketball competition will take place from 29 July to 3 August 2026, bringing together the best Phygital Basketball athletes and streetball talent from around the world to compete for a US$400,000 prize pool and global prestige. Matches will be staged at the Athletics Sports Complex “Qazaqstan” in Astana, an IAAF certified, 7,000-seat international arena, providing a world-class stage for the high-stakes competition.

One of the most popular disciplines in the tournament, Phygital Basketball, begins on the digital side, where teams compete in the video game, 3on3 Freestyle, Joycity’s globally recognized street basketball game known for its fast-paced gameplay, stylized characters, and competitive depth. Scores then carry into the physical stage, with 2-on-2 basketball on the court determining the final result.
 

And with just over three months to go until GOTF 2026, the Phygital Basketball line-up is taking shape. Team Apex (South Africa), Dangerous (Montenegro) and Pepesqueros A (Guatemala) have all secured direct qualification, alongside established teams from the Games of the Future Abu Dhabi 2025, including third-place finishers PBC Astana and reigning champions LIGA PRO TEAM. The final spots will be decided at Phygital Contenders 2026 Astana, where clubs from Argentina, Pakistan, Spain, Turkey and beyond will compete from 10–13 June at the Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace.
 

With the competition taking shape both on and off the court, this announcement reinforces the Games of the Future’s ambition to partner with the world’s leading game publishers and sports organizations to build a new category of international competition.
 

William Al-Badeesh, Publisher Relations & IP Licensing Lead at Phygital International, said: "By featuring leading titles such as 3on3 Freestyle, the Games of the Future continues to establish itself as the global platform for phygital sport, uniting athletics, gaming, and entertainment. Phygital competition is redefining what it means to be an athlete, and partnering with publishers who share that vision and bring titles with genuine global followings is how we are building the future of sport."
 

3on3 Freestyle has built a global community of players who embrace the speed, creativity, and culture of street basketball, making it a natural fit for the hybrid phygital competition format. The title was previously featured at the Games of the Future 2025 in Abu Dhabi, where the Phygital Basketball competition attracted strong engagement from teams and fans worldwide, with the Games as a whole generating nearly 849 million views across digital streaming platforms, traditional TV broadcasters, community streamers and social media.

"We are dedicated to giving our full support to this tournament, ensuring '3on3 FreeStyle' provides a premier sports experience for phygital athletes and fans worldwide," stated Kyeong-Tae Kim, Executive Producer of 3on3 FreeStyle.
 

Phygital Basketball, which is one of the eight confirmed disciplines at GOTF 2026, will take place from 29 July to 3 August 2026. The event is expected to bring together more than 900 participants from over 50 countries, with over 100,000 fans expected to attend.
 

Full team line-ups and rosters plus broadcast details will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
 

For the latest news on Games of the Future 2026, visit the official website.  Fans can also relive the action from previous editions via Phygital+, Phygital International’s dedicated Direct-to-Consumer platform.
 

Looking to cover upcoming phygital sport events? Media interested in the Games of the Future 2026, as well as Phygital Contenders 2026 Astana, can now complete the first stage of the accreditation process here.

 

The Games of the Future is an annual international event that fuses the worlds of physical and digital and is the pinnacle of phygital sport. The tournament brings together the next generation of phygital sporting heroes from all over the world to compete in a diverse range of phygital disciplines and challenges. The Games of the Future 2025 were held in Abu Dhabi while the Games of the Future 2026, will be held in Astana.