The JAPAN eSPORTS AWARDS 2025, an annual festival honoring achievements in the domestic eSports scene, was held at Pacifico Yokohama North on Monday, January 12, 2026!
In the eSports Organizer Category, the eSports Competition of the year 2025, eSports Game of the year 2025, eSports Team of the year 2025, and Special Award were announced.
Japan eSports Awards 2025 "eSports Organizer Category" Award Ceremony
At the Japan eSports Awards 2025, the award ceremony for the eSports Organizer Category, selected through fan voting and screening by the judging committee, was held.
The winners, winning works, and winning tournaments are as follows:
- Apex Legends Global Series
- CAPCOM CUP 11
- VALORANT CHALLENGERS JAPAN/VALORANT Champions Tour
- League The k4sen
- STREET FIGHTER 6
- VALORANT
- Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond
- RIDDLE ORDER
- REJECT
- ZETA DIVISION
- Mika Nonomiya
eSports Competition of the year 2025
The eSports Competition of the year 2025 is given to domestic eSports tournaments in Japan that garnered a large audience during the year and provided excitement and emotion to viewers through stable tournament management and high-quality broadcasting.
Apex Legends Global Series
©︎JAPAN eSPORTS AWARDS
I am deeply honored to receive such a prestigious award for Apex Legends today.
I would also like to express my deep gratitude to the Japanese fans and players who support us every day.
The ALGS (Apex Legends Global Series) held in Japan last year welcomed over 34,000 attendees in total, making it the largest in ALGS history.
I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the management staff and all our partners.
Unbelievably, the second-year Championship in Sapporo will begin on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
I hope we can all work together to make Apex Legends even more exciting.
Thank you very much for today.
(Translated from Japanese)
CAPCOM CUP 11
©︎JAPAN eSPORTS AWARDS
Thank you very much for selecting CAPCOM CUP 11 for the eSports Competition of the year 2025.
Since the first CAPCOM CUP in 2013, we have continued to hold it in the United States for 10 years, but this time it was held in Japan for the first time. Furthermore, as a Street Fighter tournament, it was held at Ryogoku Kokugikan for the first time in about 30 years.
Also, along with the World Warrior tournaments and Premier tournaments in 24 regions worldwide that determine qualification for CAPCOM CUP, we received participation from players that significantly exceeded the first season.
The success of CAPCOM CUP 11 is the result of the immense support and cooperation from players in each region of the world, fans, and all our partner companies.
CAPCOM eSports will continue to promote initiatives that support the growth and expansion of the competitive scene in Street Fighter.
We will also contribute to the development of the entire eSports industry.
Once again, thank you very much for today.
(Translated from Japanese)
VALORANT CHALLENGERS JAPAN/VALORANT Champions Tour
©︎JAPAN eSPORTS AWARDS
Thank you for selecting us for such an award today.
VALORANT esports Japan has been built with a new structure since 2025 together with Nippon TV, Hakuhodo, and everyone at JCG.
It is by no means easy to continue broadcasting and operating for nearly 180 days a year for 5 years and to keep creating the eSports scene with the same quality.
It is something that each and every member of the on-site staff has built by layering ingenuity, thinking seriously about VALORANT Esports and how to make it more enjoyable for the customers on the other side of the screen and those coming to the venue, while making repeated judgments.
Today, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the staff who have supported us and to the fans who always cheer for VALORANT Esports.
Thank you very much for today.
(Translated from Japanese)
League The k4sen
Thank you very much for this award among such an amazing lineup of tournaments.
This tournament started from the desire to create a unique event in Japan, the likes of which do not yet exist in the world, in what is still called a minor region for League of Legends.
Thanks to all the sponsors, all the performers, the agency, the event management team, and various other stakeholders, we were able to make it a truly wonderful tournament.
To everyone on The k4sen team who turned my ideas into reality, thank you so much!
I would like this award and the applause to be given to those on The k4sen team who worked hard on the front lines.
Although I am just a single streamer, I hope I can contribute to making eSports more exciting.
Thank you once again for the award.
(Translated from Japanese)
eSports Game of the year 2025
The eSports Game of the year 2025 is given to eSports competitive titles that provided a stable competitive scene to many teams and players and garnered many viewers through high-quality broadcasting.
STREET FIGHTER 6
©︎JAPAN eSPORTS AWARDS
I am grateful to the players as we were able to receive the award for the third consecutive year.
Street Fighter 6 is seeing a massive increase in new players every year, growing not only in Japan but also in Asia.
The development team is putting effort into the new characters Alex and Ingrid, so I hope you look forward to them.
Last year, I think there were many things that caused anxiety, such as with CAPCOM CUP, but the development members have decided to move forward by collaborating more with the eSports side, so we want to have a greater sense of unity from now on.
We will continue to develop so that you can keep enjoying Street Fighter 6, so we look forward to your continued support.
(Translated from Japanese)
VALORANT
©︎JAPAN eSPORTS AWARDS
I am honored to receive such a wonderful award today.
The reason VALORANT is what it is today is thanks to the existence of the players who play every day.
Thank you so much as always.
VALORANT always aims for both the highest level of competitiveness and being a live game loved for many years.
We continue to value the player experience for each individual, not just the evolution of new agents, maps, and competitive systems.
In 2026, we are preparing updates for the game experience centered on Arsenal and combat, as well as unique initiatives that will please players in Japan, in addition to eSports, so please look forward to the future of VALORANT.
Thank you very much for today.
(Translated from Japanese)
Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond
©︎JAPAN eSPORTS AWARDS
Thank you very much for this prestigious award.
Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond was released in June 2025, and since then, I have been able to stand here today thanks to many players, teams, streamers, and stakeholders involved in the operation and production of the tournaments.
As it was the first year, there were areas where tournament management was lacking, and I believe there were times when we placed a burden on the participating players, but I feel these six months were strongly supported by the presence of everyone involved in Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond.
Shadowverse will reach the major milestone of the 10th anniversary of the IP's birth in 2026.
We want to create excitement from the eSports scene worthy of a commemorative year, and we want to build a competitive scene with everyone that continues to create challenges so that people will continue to say Shadowverse has dreams.
We want to push forward even more than last year, so please continue to support Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond.
(Translated from Japanese)
eSports Team of the year 2025
The eSports Team of the year 2025 is given to the eSports team that achieved the most brilliant success or popularity during the year.
REJECT
©︎JAPAN eSPORTS AWARDS
Thank you very much for this prestigious award.
I feel that being able to receive such an award is the fruit of the hard work of our players who strive every day, our charismatic streamers, and each of our staff members.
Also, today is possible thanks to the cooperation of the fans who always support us and the sponsors who always support our challenges.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude.
In 2026, REJECT will continue to push forward as a team leading eSports.
We will work hard so that the tomorrow of everyone involved in eSports becomes even slightly better, so please continue to support us.
(Translated from Japanese)
ZETA DIVISION
©︎JAPAN eSPORTS AWARDS
We are very happy to receive this prestigious award.
I believe this is solely due to the support of our partner companies and other related parties, and above all, the cheers of the fans who support us every day.
In 2026, the entire team will work together to bring even more enthusiasm, excitement, and emotion to everyone, so please continue to support us.
Thank you very much for today.
(Translated from Japanese)
Special Award
The Special Award is given to individuals who have contributed to the development of eSports for a long time, or individuals and organizations tackling social issues through eSports.
Mika Nonomiya
I am very honored and filled with joy to receive such a wonderful award.
It's a given that I love games, and I truly love eSports and the players who put in effort every day.
With the cooperation of the community and everyone who supports me, I have served each duty that I can perform.
From now on, I hope I can contribute, even if only in a small way, to the further excitement of the eSports industry.
And personally, I will strive to become a person who can be active overseas by utilizing Chinese and English.
Thank you so much for today.
I look forward to your continued support!
(Translated from Japanese)
