Minecraft has been added to the EGAMES DUBAI27 program, the first global esports tournament open to all types of schools, from public to private. Registration opened on November 3, 2026, and among the 14 national esports federations that have confirmed participation is Poland, represented by the Polish Esports Association.

Building as an esports discipline

The organizers, Varkey Group (the company behind the GEMS Education school network) together with the British Esports Federation, decided to include three titles in the tournament: EA SPORTS FC 27, Rocket League, and Minecraft in a building tournament format. This is a rare case of Minecraft competing in an esports format not through combat or speed, but through students' construction skills, putting the focus on creativity and planning rather than reflexes.

Chester King, president of the British Esports Federation, highlighted the organization's long history in this area: "Since 2016, British Esports Federation has always focused on esports education and school competition." Minecraft's involvement in such a format fits with how the game has long functioned in Polish schools and extracurricular activities as a tool for learning through building.

Finals in Dubai in April 2027

Winners of the national qualifiers will meet in live finals in April 2027 at the GEMS School of Research & Innovation in Dubai. The tournament spans the 2026/27 academic year, and prizes for finalists include medals, scholarships, participation in Esports Nations Cup experiences, and computer equipment for schools. Sunny Varkey, founder of Varkey Group, described the event's goal: "Our aim is to bring young people together from around the world, giving them the opportunity to learn, connect, create, compete, and lead."

Poland among the 14 federations

Besides Poland, the EGAMES DUBAI27 participants include: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Ghana, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe. Each country runs its own qualifiers through its local esports federation, which for Polish schools means signing up through the Polish Esports Association rather than directly with the organizers in Dubai.

Varkey directly encouraged schools in the United Kingdom, saying: "I encourage schools across the UK to sign up for this tournament and give students a chance to develop their skills," but the registration mechanism through national federations works the same way for all 14 participating countries.

How schools sign up

Schools don't register directly on the EGAMES website, but rather through their country's esports federation, which organizes national qualifiers and selects representatives for the finals. For the Minecraft discipline, it's worth reminding students of the building basics covered in our /guides, and teachers planning lessons with the educational version of the game can check out /download/bedrock, since Minecraft: Education Edition, used in many schools, is based on that edition. The organizers are passing on national registration deadlines individually to each federation.

What's next

No detailed schedule for the Polish qualifiers or precise judging criteria for building entries in the Minecraft discipline has been revealed yet. The organizers announce that more information about registration will appear on egames.gg in the coming weeks, as individual federations, including the Polish Esports Association, announce their own deadlines and qualification rules for the Dubai finals.

Sources