It will follow the inaugural event, due to take place in Singapore next month.

The event in Singapore, scheduled to be held between December 17 and 19, is expected to welcome athletes from over 40 countries and territories to compete in person.

Istanbul had been announced as the host city of the 2022 Global Esports Games in May, along with Singapore for 2021 and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia in 2023, but the deal has now been officially sealed. 

Last week, Paul J. Foster, chief executive of the Global Esports Federation (GEF), led a delegation to Turkey's financial capital to meet with the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoğlu, as well as leaders from Spor İstanbul, the Turkish Esports Federation, and members of the gaming, esports, education, business and cultural community.

The delegations discussed preparatory work and visited venue options.

"For years it has been said that Istanbul stands at the crossroads between Asia and Europe, but it also stands at the very heart of a thriving inclusive youth culture," Foster said.

"You literally feel the energy vibrate from within this breathtaking city presenting great opportunities to showcase the future of esports, as we continue to expand our #worldconnected community.

"With a month until the inaugural Singapore 2021 Global Esports Games, we have already started our detailed work with our partners in Turkey.

"We are proud to welcome Istanbul as host city for the Global Esports Games 2022 as we convene the world's athletes and players here in a little over a year."

A recent call by the GEF for expressions of interest to host future editions of the Global Esports Games, from 2024 until 2027, has seen unprecedented interest, with nine global cities coming forward, it is claimed.

The GEF's technical teams are currently assessing the applications and candidacy files.

The GEF Board is due to select host cities at the upcoming Board Meeting in Singapore on December 17.