IOC announces Olympic Esports Games heading to Saudi Arabia next year
After years of trying to integrate esports into the Olympics, the Olympic Esports Games have finally been revealed. Kicking off in 2025, the community is heading to Saudi Arabia, the new epicentre for all things esports.
The Journey is Over, Esports are in the Olympics
The International Olympic Committee and the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia are making the dream of an Esports Olympic Games competition a reality. There couldn’t be better timing considering the ongoing and successful Esports World Cup in Riyadh.
This game-changing partnership has been confirmed for a staggering 12 years. Thanks to Saudi Arabia’s commitment to esports, initially through the NEOM project, Gamers8 and eventually the Esports World Cup. After committing an incredible $60 million prize pool for the world’s first-ever iteration of the Esports World Cup, Saudi Arabia already has the infrastructure to host massive esports events.
Everything is looking to be already agreed and announced on the eve of the Olympic Games, making it the biggest news for the entire esports ecosystem as a whole, and to some extent esports betting as well.
Saudi Arabia as the Esports Summit
The International Olympic Committee thoroughly explained their choice to partner with Saudi Arabia, identifying the following points:
- Leading expertise in esports
- Young nation boasting over 23 million gamers
- General growth in other industries surrounding traditional sports
- Supporting female esports
Hosting over 20 esports tournaments at the Esports World Cup festival, Saudi Arabia continues to prove its position as a global home for esports.
Olympic Esports Games to have a very specific structure
Over the past few decades, we’ve witnessed a number of traditional sports organizers throwing their hats into the world of esports. Unfortunately, sometimes these organizations try to treat esports similarly to traditional sports.
We’re thrilled with the following statement from the International Olympic Committee:
“At the same time, the IOC will have to create a new dedicated structure within its organisation, clearly separated from the organisational and financial model for the Olympic Games. In order to address the specific nature of the Olympic Esports Games, the IOC will also have to take a different approach with regard to the financing and organisation of these Games.”
One of the most challenging aspects of trying to integrate esports with the Olympics in the past and other traditional sports festivals was the notion of “videogame violence”.
We’re hoping that the Olympic Esports Games takes the appropriate approach for the good of esports. FPS and MOBA titles such as Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends and Fortnite were previously considered too violent for sports festivals. Hopefully, the new approach will depart from this viewpoint.
Read the press release here.
