Esports featured separately to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in August but the two organisations closely worked together to stage the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Forum and the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championships.

Officials and athletes came away from the two events in high spirits and with the hope that esports could become a medal event for the next edition in Australia as an additional sport.

However - following consultation between the CGF, the Government in Victoria and Commonwealth Games Australia - esports did not make the cut.

Golf, coastal rowing, shooting, 3x3 basketball, BMX racing, mountain bike cross-country and track cycling were chosen as additional sports alongside 3x3 wheelchair basketball, shooting Para sport and Para cycling track.

Despite this setback, the GEF has expressed its willingness to continue working with the CGF and hinted it could stage another Commonwealth Esports Championships.

"Esports, unfortunately will not be part of the Commonwealth Games Victoria 2026," GEF told Esports News UK.

"The inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships 2022 was a great success on many levels, and especially for nations and territories across the Commonwealth and athletes in particular.

"Together with the CGF, we are talking about several new innovations and are excited to create the next edition of the Commonwealth Esports Championships, together."

insidethegames has contacted the CGF for comment regarding their future collaboration with the GEF.

The partnership between the CGF and the GEF dates back to May 2020, when they jointly announced a partnership to develop a Commonwealth Esports Strategy, after esports was one of the areas identified in the Commonwealth Sport 2026-2030 strategic roadmap.

In August, CGF chief executives raised the possibility to insidethegames that esports could be part of the programme for the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago.