Mainland China will not participate in the League of Legends event at the 2026 Asian Games, according to the official list of participating teams and nominated athletes released by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on May 29.
The OCA’s announcement confirmed the teams that will take part in the competition. The preliminary list of participating teams includes Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.
China, however, was not included in either the direct qualification list or the list of nominated teams. China’s absence comes as a surprise. The country was widely expected to participate due to its strong League of Legends history and previous Asian Games appearances. No official statement explaining China’s absence has been released so far, but the OCA participation list confirms that the country will not compete in the League of Legends tournament.
However, according to Chinese esports journalist Wang Weichen (王玮晨), the decision is part of a reduction in China’s overall delegation to the 2026 Asian Games. He said the move is linked to poor relations between China and Japan, which is hosting the Games.
Wang noted that the decision was not made by Riot Games, the League of Legends Pro League (LPL), or any organisation connected to the game itself. Instead, it was made at the national delegation level.
China is still expected to compete in several other esports events at the Asian Games, especially titles where it has strong medal prospects or direct qualification. These include the Asian Games version of Honor of Kings/Arena of Valor, as well as other events such as PUBG Mobile variants and Identity V.
China has traditionally been one of the strongest countries in League of Legends esports. The nation won gold at the 2018 Asian Games demonstration event in Jakarta and later earned a bronze medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games after losing to South Korea in the semifinals.
Several other countries have also chosen not to participate in the League of Legends event. Host nation Japan opted to focus on other esports titles, while Thailand cited budget and strategic reasons. Indonesia will miss the competition for a second consecutive Asian Games as it prioritises games where it believes it has a better chance of winning medals.
With China no longer participating, one of the tournament’s strongest teams will be missing. South Korea is now the clear favorite, while Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, and Hong Kong (China) are expected to be among the leading challengers.
The League of Legends event will be held between September 23 and October 2, 2026, at Aichi Sky Expo in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is one of 11 official medal esports events at the Asian Games.
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