NESC 2026 registrations close March 7 as ESFI picks India's Asian Games esports squad
The clock is ticking for Indian esports athletes. Registrations for the National Esports Championship 2026 close on March 7, leaving just two days for players to sign up for what could be their route to the Asian Games.
What is NESC 2026?
The NESC 2026 is the official qualifier run by the Esports Federation of India to select the country's squad for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Games run from September 19 to October 4, and esports will feature as a full medal event for the second time, following its debut at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
India will field athletes in 10 of the 13 esports titles on the programme, competing across eight medal events with a theoretical maximum of 24 medals up for grabs.
The 10 games on the programme
The titles span PC, mobile and console. Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8 and The King of Fighters XV make up the fighting game cluster. League of Legends and Naraka: Bladepoint cover the team-based PC side. Gran Turismo 7 will be played on PS5, while eFootball runs on both mobile and PC. Pokemon Unite sits on mobile and Nintendo Switch, and Puyo Puyo Champions rounds out the PC lineup.
The big one for Indian mobile gamers is BGMI. Because PUBG Mobile has a separate Asian Games version, ESFI will use Battlegrounds Mobile India for selection and evaluation. India has opted out of Honor of Kings, Identity V and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
How to register
Registrations are handled through ESFI's Linktree and its Discord server. Players choose their game, fill in personal details and gaming ID, and submit. The process is open to all Indian citizens regardless of gender, though minors need parental consent.
After the national championship wraps up, selected players move to Asian regional qualifiers between May and July before the final squad is confirmed for Japan.
Beyond prize pools
India's esports scene has grown fast, but international medal chances at multi-sport events remain rare. The Asian Games offer a platform that goes well beyond prize money, with government recognition and Sports Authority of India backing on the line. For competitive players across fighting games, shooters and strategy titles, NESC 2026 is the one qualifier that matters this year.
