Enhanced Video games, the controversial opponents that lets in efficiency-bettering medication, launched Wednesday right by a livestreamed press conference that its inaugural tournament will be held at Accommodations World in Las Vegas on Memorial Day 2026.
Backed by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, the Enhanced Video games had been first launched in February 2024. Unlike customary wearing events, the Enhanced Video games allow efficiency-bettering medication. Enhanced Video games Founder Aron D’Souza framed the games as a self-discipline to athletic conventions, specializing in surroundings contemporary sports standards.
“Now we bag proven that we can plan it once now with a 50-meter freestyle, the preeminent file in swimming,” D’Souza suggested Decrypt in an interview. “So let’s plan it on the observe and in strength events.”
🇺🇸 LAS VEGAS 2026
The principle Enhanced Video games are coming to Las Vegas in Would possibly possibly possibly possibly merely 2026.
World-class athletes in athletics, aquatics, and strength will compete to interrupt records, get prizes of up to a million dollars, and redefine the boundaries of human efficiency.
📅 Memorial Day Weekend… pic.twitter.com/VWNgPM2rHe
— Enhanced Video games (@enhanced_games) Would possibly possibly possibly possibly merely 21, 2025
D’Souza pointed to the 50-meter freestyle file broken by worn Olympic swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev. The feat became chronicled within the documentary “50 Meters to Historical past: The First Superhuman,” which particulars Gkolomeev’s training and the enhancements customary to attain the file.
When requested how organizations outside of the Enhanced Video games will behold these contemporary records, D’Souza compared Enhanced Video games records to the historical wreck up between newbie and expert sports. He argued that honest correct as expert achievements in a roundabout plan overshadowed newbie ones, enhanced records—admire Gkolomeev’s within the 50-meter freestyle—explain a recent, distinct class alongside customary Olympic records.
“The field records that the Olympic Committee retains are the natural world records,” D’Souza talked about. “It’s two replacement issues.”
D’Souza moreover emphasised that breaking records below the Enhanced Video games banner is a good deal extra lucrative than in customary competitions.
“Every foremost world file broken within the Enhanced Video games comes with a $1 million prize,” he talked about. “The purpose of the topic is that the average Olympian in america only earns $30,000 a twelve months. So that is one of the best prize ever paid to a swimmer, presumably by a a part of ten.”
Essentially based on D’Souza, athletes will be supported by coaches, medical doctors, physiologists, nutritionists, and data scientists. Whereas Enhanced Video games permits efficiency-bettering medication, he talked about the organization will depend upon unbiased medical and scientific protocols to oversee athlete safety and trend.
“There are sturdy safety guidelines that our unbiased medical fee sets,” D’Souza talked about. “Every athlete must fling a comprehensive successfully being screening, including an electrocardiogram, MRI, and blood evaluation, to invent certain that they’re wholesome and fit to compete.”
D’Souza talked about reactions to Enhanced Video games bag been sharply divided between the tech world and the customary sports institution.
“Within the skills world, we’re deeply loved, sharp a entire contemporary vision of what it formulation to be human,” he talked about. “The customary legacy wearing world is terribly disturbed. They’re disturbed of alternate. Now we must embrace alternate and embrace the prolonged fling.”
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair
