The Esports Research Network Conference 2026 will take place in Tsukuba, Japan, between 15 and 17 September. Bringing together esports academics and the esports ecosystem, it will also be a warm-up for the Tokyo Game Show 2026 and 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026. Prof Dr Tsubasa Shinohara (University of Tsukuba, Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences) is a conference chair who has led the Conference organisation. Further, Ms Sayo Okamoto (GAKU), Prof Dr Tobias Scholz (University of Agder / ERN), and Dawn Beasley (GAKU) have supported the organisation process.

This year’s theme is Bridging Gaming Heritage and Esports Futures: Transformations, Traditions, and Tomorrow, which “[…] explores intercultural perspectives on esports and video gaming, with a particular focus on the relationship between Asia and other regions”. Accordingly, the conference will place special emphasis on the Japanese video game and esports industries, represented by publishers and other organisations. As with previous editions of the Conference, global participation and interdisciplinary dialogue will be key.

The three-day event will include keynote speeches, parallel sessions, and panels covering a wide range of topics, such as grassroots esports, the intersection of public policy, politics, and esports, and the role of academia in esports. Concerning the latter, Manchester Game Centre member and Senior Lecturer (Manchester Law School) Cem Abanazir will moderate the panel titled What is the Role of Academia within the Esports Ecosystem? The panel will consist of leaders in esports research from diverse disciplines: Amanda Cote (Michigan State University), Yaewon Jin (Ewha Womans University) and Seth E. Jenny (Slippery Rock University). The discussion will focus on the relationship between the esports industry and academia, esports education, esports programmes in educational institutions, diversity in esports research, and the future of esports-related academic activities.