PBC Astana reach the semi-finals of phygital basketball at Games of the Future Abu Dhabi 2025

Astana started the tournament confidently during the group stage, opening with a dominant 39–24 win over Bad Boys, immediately setting the tone and staking their claim as one of the contenders. The team also faced a tough test, suffering a 23–40 loss to Moskowsky, which became an important reset ahead of the decisive games.

In the play-off round, PBC Astana defeated Derventa Esports Umbrella 39–26, booking a place in the quarter-finals and confirming their ambitions in the Phygital Basketball 3x3 Freestyle discipline. The narrow victory over FlashBasket then secured a spot in the tournament’s final four.

Phygital basketball is a hybrid format in which teams first compete in a basketball video game before continuing the matchup on a real 3x3 court. The final score is determined by combining results from both the digital and physical stages, demanding not only basketball skills, but also esports ability, tactical awareness, physical endurance, and strong teamwork.

Games of the Future Abu Dhabi 2025 is a major international phygital sports event with a total prize pool of around USD 5 million, spread across eleven disciplines, including phygital football, phygital basketball, and others. The Phygital Basketball 3x3 prize pool alone stands at USD 400,000, significantly raising the stakes and intensity of the competition.

The winners of the phygital basketball tournament in Abu Dhabi will lift the prestigious trophy, share the discipline’s prize fund, and earn the right to compete at the Games of the Future 2026, which will be held in Astana. For Kazakhstan, this represents an important step in the development of the phygital movement — bridging esports and traditional sport — and PBC Astana’s strong performance in Abu Dhabi further strengthens the country’s position as one of the leaders in this emerging global sports format.