Virtual Taekwondo
| Virtual Taekwondo | |
|---|---|
 Logo | |
| Developer | Refract Technologies |
| Genres | Virtual reality, virtual sports, fighting game |
| Mode | Multiplayer |
Virtual Taekwondo or VTKD is a virtual reality fighting game based on traditional taekwondo developed by Refract Technologies in cooperation with World Taekwondo. It is promoted as the virtual sport counterpart of traditional taekwondo.
Development
[edit]Virtual Taekwondo was a product of a partnership between World Taekwondo (WT), the international sports body for traditional taekwondo, and Singaporean firm Refract Technologies which began in 2018. The virtual sport devises Refract's Active XR Interface System (AXIS) motion-tracking technology.[1][2] WT developed the virtual variant of taekwondo to provide a "meaningful advantages in terms of safety and accessibility" compared to its live counterpart. Virtual Taekwondo was received with skepticism due to its difference with the standard sport.[3]
Gameplay
[edit]Virtual Taekwondo is played by two players wearing virtual reality headsets and motion-tracking sensors on their spine, thighs and shins.[2] They fight on a 4-by-4-meter (13 ft × 13 ft) mat for 60 seconds.[4]
They engage in combat within a digital 3D arena using their bodies to control avatars with the goal of depleting their opponent's virtual health bar.[2] If no opponent gets knocked out, the player with the most health by the end of the 60 seconds win.[4]
Virtual Taekwondo is a non-contact game, with players not touching each other during a virtual fight in reality. Players can kick the opposing player's avatar's torso or head to inflict damage to the other players health. They can also make punches but it does not cause damage. It does however fill the opponent's "stun gauge", if filled will render the opponent immobile for three seconds.[4]
Esports
[edit]| Highest governing body | World Taekwondo |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | No (virtual only) |
| Mixed-sex | Yes |
| Equipment | Virtual reality headset, motion tracking sensors, mat |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Singapore |
| Olympic | No |
Virtual Taekwondo has featured in esports competitions. During games, spectators can view a fight through the players digital avatars projected on a separate screen. Men and women can fight against each other in official games.[4]
Virtual Taekwondo had a demonstration at the 2022 Commonwealth Esports Championships in Birmingham, England.[5] It was later featured in an invitational tournament at the 2023 Olympic Esports Series (OES) in Singapore.[6][5][7]
Virtual Taekwondo will feature at the taekwondo event of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan as a regular medal event.[4]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Virtual Taekwondo combines full-body motion-tracking and video games to create the next Olympic-level sport". Games Press. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Virtual taekwondo making debut in Asian Games". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Associated Press. 8 July 2026. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- ↑ "Virtual Taekwondo takes the contact out of a combat sport". The New York Times. 13 September 2026. Retrieved 28 September 2026 – via The Star.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Game or combat sport? Inaugural virtual taekwondo competition draws fans at Asian Games". The Korea Times. 6 September 2026.
- 1 2 "World Taekwondo reveals details of virtual format at Olympic Esports Series". Inside The Games. 27 September 2026. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- ↑ Lojo, Michelle (2 March 2023). "Olympic esports series to feature nine 'virtual sports'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- ↑ "Singaporean wins taekwondo event on final day of inaugural Olympic Esports Week". CNA. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
