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This summer was supposed to mark the debut of the Olympic Esports Games in Saudi Arabia. The International Olympic Committee gave its blessing last year for the event to happen every two years in between the Summer and Winter Games. At the time, IOC President Thomas Bach announced the Olympic movement was “keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution.”
Well, the IOC had to slow that pace just a bit, amid concerns “over a rushed timeline and key details still shrouded in uncertainty,” according to Inside The Games. Then, on Feb. 11, ABC News reported that the inaugural edition of the Olympic Esports Games is officially bumped to 2027 and will be hosted by Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital city — site of last summer’s Esports World Cup. The kingdom’s Esports World Cup Foundation was named founding partner of the Olympic Esports Games.
Here’s more from the ABC News report:
It is unclear which, if any, shooter games the IOC will allow on the Esports Olympics program, which it has repeatedly said must align with Olympic values. A six-person panel, co-chaired by veteran IOC member Ser Miang Ng and Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, will work on deciding the games program, the IOC said.
Details of the inaugural Esports Olympics were confirmed two days after Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman hosted a visiting Olympic delegation in Riyadh, including its president Thomas Bach, who leaves office in June. The 12-year deal was confirmed last July on the eve of the Paris Olympics as the latest prime sporting asset for the oil-rich kingdom to own or host. FIFA confirmed Saudi Arabia as host of the 2034 World Cup in men’s soccer in December.
IOC members were told in Paris the vision for the Esports Olympics was to hold it every two years starting in 2025, with “physical, simulated and electronic games” included. Qualifying competitions for national teams are set to start this year.
Inside the Games, citing reporting from SportBusiness.com, noted that videogame publishers had expressed concerns about the original timelines. Other uncertainties included venue determinations, exact dates and qualifying processes.
“Bach … previously expressed reservations about including certain video games in the Olympic program — particularly those that promote violence or discrimination,” according to Inside the Games. “Back in 2018, during the Asian Games, he declared: ‘We cannot include in the Olympic itinerary a game that fosters violence or discrimination. From our perspective, these are incompatible in conjunction with Olympic values and therefore cannot be accepted.’”
That insistence, if it continues, could become a sticking point as plans for the 2027 event move forward. Many of the most popular esports games, including Call of Duty and Fortnite, involve violence (although some of it is considered “cartoonish” by players and fans of the games).
“It is worth noting that the exploration of younger markets — closely linked to esports — is one of the key objectives of the candidates vying for the IOC presidency,” Inside the Games concluded. “In March, after twelve years under Bach’s leadership, the Olympic throne will change hands for the first time. Ensuring a secure future for digital sports, as well as for the incoming administration, will be crucial in sustaining the Olympic Movement’s expansion into modern and emerging disciplines. It is imperative that this setback does not tarnish the IOC’s efforts to invest in contemporary sports in the years to come.”
The IOC elections will take place during the 144th IOC Session, to be held in Greece from March 18-21. Thomas Bach’s term as IOC president officially ends in June 2025; to learn about the candidates for his position, click here.
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