X Games Launching New Team-Based Format

Athletes will compete for city-based teams instead of countries

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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The X Games are undergoing a major format change starting this summer, with athletes competing for teams based in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Sao Paulo instead of representing their home countries. The new X Games League will feature team-based competition in skateboarding, BMX, skiing, and snowboarding, with athletes earning points for their squads. Olympic gold medalists like Chloe Kim and Eileen Gu are among the top athletes committed to the new league.

Why it matters

The shift to a team-based format represents a significant evolution for the X Games, which has traditionally featured individual athletes competing against each other. The new league structure is aimed at driving more fan engagement and creating a more dynamic competitive environment.

The details

Under the new X Games League format, there will be four teams based in major global cities - New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Sao Paulo. Athletes from around the world will compete for these city-based squads in events like skateboarding, BMX, skiing, and snowboarding. The inaugural X Games League Draft will take place on March 12 in Los Angeles.

  • The X Games League will launch this summer.
  • The inaugural X Games League Draft will take place on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles.

The players

Jeremy Bloom

CEO of the X Games and a former Olympic skier from Loveland, Colorado.

Chloe Kim

Olympic gold medalist snowboarder who is committed to competing in the new X Games League.

Eileen Gu

Olympic gold medalist skier who is committed to competing in the new X Games League.

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What they’re saying

“This is the first time ever where it's going to be like, well, you have a team in Sao Paulo going against a team in LA, and that LA team has athletes from all over the world, but it's X Games Club LA, and it's X Games Club Sao Paulo.”

— Jeremy Bloom, CEO, X Games (denver7.com)

“This is a different way to think about action sports. For the history of forever, it was the U.S. guy versus the French guy. And that's been the Olympic model, the World Cup model, and so forth and so on.”

— Jeremy Bloom, CEO, X Games (denver7.com)

What’s next

The inaugural X Games League Draft will take place on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, where athletes will be selected to compete for the four city-based teams.

The takeaway

The X Games are embracing a bold new team-based format that will create a more dynamic and globally-connected competition, moving away from the traditional individual country-versus-country model. This shift aims to drive greater fan engagement and showcase the international appeal of action sports.