Look, let's be honest, the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games e-sports tournament kicked off on September 19, and South Korea and Japan are now heading straight into a brutal showdown for the fighting game gold medal.

The event features a total of 11 detailed e-sports categories this year, with the fighting game division hosting Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and The King of Fighters XV. South Korea sent Yeon Je-gil for Street Fighter 6, Bae Jae-min for Tekken 8, and Lee Kwang-no for The King of Fighters XV as national representatives. To reach the finals, South Korea sliced right through Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia.

The final boss standing in the way is none of other than Japan. Japan has deployed Higuchi Kojiro for Street Fighter 6, Nakayama Daichi for Tekken 8, and Sawada Akihito for The King of Fighters XV. Japan punched the ticket to the finals by crushing the United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Bahrain, and Hong Kong.

The grand finals to crown the ultimate gold medalist are scheduled to kick off at 4:00 PM on September 26. Meanwhile, in other e-sports action, Kang Dong-shin bagged a silver medal in Puyo Puyo Champions, while Kim Young-chan secured a bronze medal in Gran Turismo 7. All eyes are now locked on whether South Korea can secure the very first gold medal of this year's Asian Games right here in the fighting game arena. Adieu, mate!