Olympic Esport Games are Becoming More and More Likely

At the 142nd IOC Session, which will take place during the Olympic Games in Paris, the IOC will decide on a proposal from the Executive Board to create the so-called Olympic Esport Games. The IOC is also already in contact with a potential host. The decision would be a historic turning point.

After initially categorically rejecting esports, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has come around to the idea in recent years. The Olympic Virtual Series was followed by the Olympic Esports Week in 2023 and finally the announcement (German) by IOC President Thomas Bach at the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai that a commission would examine the creation of Olympic Esports Games. This review was apparently positive. As the IOC has now announced, the Executive Board will propose the creation of so-called Olympic Esports Games at the next General Assembly. The next IOC session will take place during the Olympic Games in Paris. Meetings are scheduled for 22-24 July and 10 August.

"With the creation of Olympic Esports Games, the IOC is taking a major step forward and is keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution. We are very excited how enthusiastically the esports community represented in our Esports Commission has engaged with this initiative. This is further proof of the attractivity of the Olympic brand and the values it stands for," said IOC President Thomas Bach.

Somewhat surprisingly, the IOC also says in the statement that it is already in talks with a potential host. An announcement could be made very quickly once the formalities have been finalised. The IOC did not say who this hist would be.

However, it is likely that it will be Saudi Arabia. In a few weeks' time, the country will be organising the Esports World Cup, the largest and most endowed esports event in the world.

The IOC's announcement certainly represents a historic breakthrough for esports, but it also has its downsides. The IOC is not budging from its position and does not recognise classic esports games such as "League of Legends" or "Counter-Strike" as disciplines. This could lead to an intensification of the conflict between the esports scene and sports officials.

On the one hand, the organisation of so-called Olympic Esport Games without classic esport disciplines would force national organisations such as the German DOSB to be more open towards esport, which would also help with recognition and funding. On the other hand, the officials would be turning their backs on esport players and young people, who are actually the ones they want to get interested in the sport.

A possible collaboration between the IOC and Saudi Arabia is also likely to be viewed critically in the scene, as some parts of esports view the commitment critically due to the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia. It is also interesting that the Esport World Cup, which takes place in Saudi Arabia, does cover the classic esports games of course. It is possible that the second Esports World Cup and the first Olympic Esport Games could take place in Saudi Arabia in 2025, bringing both sides to the table and dissolving the separation between sports simulations and real games desired by the sports world. Then we could really talk about a historic turning point.