Korea's eSports team has secured one gold medal, one silver medal, and two bronze medals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, while continuing to compete for additional medals in other events. On September 27, the Honor of Kings team was eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing 0-2 to the Philippines at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture. The team, consisting of Jeong Yoon-ho, Han Ji-hoon, Lee Seob-kyu, Jo Seong-bin, Lee Hoon-min, and Han Seong-geon, concluded the tournament without a medal.
Honor of Kings is a global version of the mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game 'Wangzi Yongyou,' which features teams of five players. Korea sent the Nongshim RedForce team, which ranked first in the national qualifiers, to represent the country in this event.
Despite the setback in Honor of Kings, the Korean eSports team has already earned medals in other competitions. The first medal was won on September 23 in 'Gran Turismo 7,' where Kim Young-chan scored a total of 25 points across three final races to secure a bronze medal. After finishing sixth in the first race, he climbed to third place in the next two races to reach the podium.
On September 26, two more medals were added to Korea's tally. Kang Dong-shin reached the finals of 'Puyo Puyo Champions' and earned a silver medal. After previously losing to Japan's Yuki Kurihara in the group stage, he faced him again in the final, where he lost 2-10, finishing the tournament with a silver medal.
On the same day, Korea's eSports team also claimed its first gold medal of the tournament. The Tekken team, consisting of Yeon Je-gil, Bae Jae-min, and Lee Kwang-no, defeated Japan 5-2 in the finals. The Tekken event combined three games: Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and The King of Fighters XV.
On September 27, the team added another bronze medal in Pokémon Unite. The team, made up of Kim Jae-young, Park Seong-soon, Lee Ji-hwan, Jin Su-bin, and Jo Min-hyeok, defeated Singapore 2-1 in the quarterfinals but lost 0-2 to Japan in the semifinals, finishing in a tie for third place. As a result, the Korean eSports team currently holds a total of four medals: one gold, one silver, and two bronze.
The Korean eSports team has assembled a squad of 41 players across nine events, aiming for a total of nine medals, including five golds, two silvers, and two bronzes. The events targeted for gold medals include League of Legends (LoL), Tekken, PUBG Mobile, Gran Turismo 7, and Puyo Puyo Champions.
So far, the Tekken team has achieved its gold medal goal, while Puyo Puyo has secured a silver and Gran Turismo 7 a bronze. The eFootball team, however, failed to advance to the knockout stage after losing to Iran and Saudi Arabia in the group stage.
The Korean team will continue to compete for medals in PUBG Mobile, Identity V, and League of Legends. PUBG Mobile matches will begin on September 28, with medals to be awarded on September 29. Identity V will take place from September 28 to 30.
League of Legends, one of the events targeted for gold, will be held later in the tournament. The team, led by coach Kang Dong-hoon, aims for a second consecutive gold medal following the Hangzhou Games. Star players such as Choi Woo-jae (Zeus), Kim Geon-bu (Canyon), Kim Geon-woo (Zeka), Lee Sang-hyeok (Faker), Lee Min-hyeong (Gumayusi), and Ryu Min-seok (Keria) are part of the roster, making it one of the most anticipated events in the eSports category. The finals are scheduled for October 2.
Korea previously won two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, where eSports was officially recognized as a medal event for the first time. With one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals secured so far in this tournament, Korea has matched its total medal count from the Hangzhou Games.
Should they secure additional medals in PUBG Mobile, Identity V, and LoL, they will surpass their total medal count from the Hangzhou Games.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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