At its 142nd session in Paris this Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) unanimously agreed to establish the Esports Olympic Games. Several details about the event were disclosed, including that the first edition will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2025. It has not yet been defined how the next host will be determined but the event should happen every two year starting next year so that it takes place in between Summer and Winter Olympic Games. It is also known that the Esport Olympic Games should be financially autonomous, entirely handled by the IOC, and will not rely on the Olympic Games budget.
It is not the first time the IOC tries to organize an event in Esport. Their first attempt was in 2018 while they partnered with ESL to organize the IEM in PyeongChang, host city of the Winter Olympic Games that year. Three years later in 2021, they co-organized the Intel World Open online due to the pandemic which didn't meet a huge success despite bringing big games such as Rocket League or Street Fighter V. They also organized the Olympic Virtual Series since that year which only mixed virtual sports games and sports simulations. We could also mention the Asian Games, recognized by the IOC, which officially introduced Esports as a medal event in 2022 (after a demonstration event in 2018).
An event to gather several genres of Gaming
The Esports Olympic Games will offer several types of games, although none of them have yet been confirmed. The IOC is planning to organize its event around three types of games:
- Virtual sports games, like Zwift or Virtual Taekwondo
- Sports simulation, like FIFA or NBA2K
- Other traditional games on PC, Console or Smartphones
Last year, during the "Olympic Week" that was held in Singapore, there was no traditional esport games. They will be chosen depending on their popularity, consistency, credibility and alignment with Olympic values.
It is already known they are currently discussing with Riot Games and Psyonix, which should indicate that League of Legends and Rocket League will take part of it. It would be the first time that LoL has seen the introduction of a recurring, worldwide nation-based tournament.
The Esports Olympic Games will also be inclusive, highlighting female role models, ensuring equal gender representation and advancing this reality in the first edition, inviting mixed-gender teams whenever possible, and promoting inclusivity. Finally, the Esports Olympic Games will award the first official titles of "Olympic Esports Champions," a recognition that has not been possible until now.
Header Credit Photo: IOC/Greg Martin
