IOC Formally Announces Creation of Olympic Esports Games

The International Olympic Committee has formally announced the creation of the Olympic Esports Games, with the inaugural event taking place in Saudi Arabia in 2025.

The IOC earlier announced that it would partner with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia for 12 years. The executive board’s proposal was adopted, as expected, on the opening day of the 142nd IOC Session in Paris.

The city and venue for the inaugural edition of the Olympic Esports Games, as well as the specific timing of the event, the titles to be included and the qualification process for players will be announced at a later time.

“This is truly a new era for the IOC. With the confirmation by the IOC Session of the creation of the Olympic Esports Games, we are keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “The esports community, represented in our Esports Commission, has enthusiastically engaged with this initiative. This is further proof of the attractivity of the Olympic brand and the values it stands for among young people. The NOC of Saudi Arabia will bring great — if not unique — experience in the field of esports to this project. This partnership is based on the Olympic Charter and the Olympic values.”

The IOC hosted its inaugural Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in 2023. As a result of the success of the event, Bach asked the IOC Esports Commission, under the leadership of IOC member David Lappartient, to study the creation of a formal Esports Games. The 2023 event included esports games for archery, baseball, chess, cycling, dance, motorsport, sailing, taekwondo, tennis and shooting through Fortnite.

Popular games such as Counter-Strike, Call of Duty and first-person shooter games have traditionally been opposed by the IOC, which earlier said that International Federations already engaged in an e-version of their sport that is considered for inclusion in the Olympic Esports Games will be the IOC’s first partners. The same would be true for National Olympic Committees that already include esports in their activities.

“Esports in Saudi Arabia already have a rich past, an exciting present and a promising future,” said Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee. “And the reason why is the same reason why we are investing across all sports — our young people. Our commitment to esports is simply a reflection of the world our young people live in and we now all have the chance to write new Olympic history together. The chance to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world.”