The South Korean esports team claimed the first gold medal in the team fighting game event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
On September 26, the team, consisting of Yeon Je-gil (KT Rolster), Bae Jae-min (Kiwoom DRX), and Lee Kwang-no, defeated the host nation Japan with a set score of 5-2 at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture.
This victory marks South Korea's first gold medal in esports at the event, bringing the total number of gold medals for the South Korean delegation to 14.
The team fighting game event featured three games: 'Street Fighter 6', 'Tekken 8', and 'The King of Fighters XV (KOF XV)'. The first game was determined by a coin toss, and thereafter, the team that lost the previous set chose the next game. The final was won by the first team to secure five sets.
South Korea advanced to the knockout stage as the top team in Group D, winning all matches against Kazakhstan and Hong Kong. They then defeated Taiwan 3-0 in the quarterfinals and Saudi Arabia 3-1 in the semifinals.
In the final, Yeon Je-gil competed in 'Street Fighter 6', Bae Jae-min in 'Tekken 8', and Lee Kwang-no in KOF XV.
The early momentum favored Japan, with Yeon Je-gil losing the first set in 'Street Fighter 6' to Kojiro Higuchi. Lee Kwang-no equalized by defeating Akihito Sawada in KOF XV, but Bae Jae-min lost a close match to Daichi Nakayama in 'Tekken 8', putting South Korea behind 1-2.
After losing the third set, South Korea chose KOF XV again, where Lee Kwang-no triumphed over Sawada in a rematch, leveling the score at 2-2.
In the fifth set, which Japan selected as 'Tekken 8', Bae Jae-min sought redemption. He won the first game against Nakayama, lost the second, but secured the third game, putting South Korea ahead 3-2.
In the sixth set, Yeon Je-gil avenged his earlier loss to Higuchi in 'Street Fighter 6'. He achieved a perfect KO in the first game without taking a hit and, despite facing pressure in the second game, he landed a decisive blow to win, extending the set score to 4-2.
With one set away from victory, Japan chose 'Tekken 8' for the seventh set. Bae Jae-min faced Nakayama again, winning the first game in a tight contest and then taking the second game decisively to secure the gold medal.
With this win, South Korea's esports team has now earned one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal at the event. Earlier on September 23, Kim Young-chan (DCT Racing) won a bronze medal in Gran Turismo 7, and Kang Dong-shin added a silver medal in Puyo Puyo Champions on the same day.
This marks the second consecutive gold medal in fighting games for South Korea, following Kim Kwan-woo's gold in the individual event of 'Street Fighter 5' at the 2022 Hangzhou Games held in 2023.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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