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The question of when, how (or even if) the IOC will ever sanction esports may have been answered — just not with the answer enthusiasts have been seeking.
Earlier this month, IOC President Kirsty Coventry suspended the Esports Commission’s activities, putting the kibosh on bringing video games into the Olympics for the foreseeable future.
According to News 18 Sports, the Olympic Esports Games were formally unveiled during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games under then-IOC president Thomas Bach.
The idea was simple but ambitious: create a recurring global esports event under the Olympic umbrella, beginning in 2027. Saudi Arabia signed on for a 12-year run as host and agreed to fund the games as well.
In 2025, however, the IOC put the brakes on the plans, citing various concerns, including a “rushed timeline.”
Other points had long caused conflicts, such as whether the Olympic Esports Games would allow the presence of first-person shooter (FPS) games, such as Fortnite and Call of Duty. Bach had repeatedly stated that only games based on actual sports, rather than those that promoted violence, would be offered.
News 18 adds that since taking office, Coventry has indicated a preference for strengthening traditional sports rather than aggressively expanding into new territory.
While the stoppage of work on the esports event has been labeled temporary, Saudi Arabia is continuing to showcase its hosting prowess, according to Insider Gaming. The Esports Foundation of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, set up the Esports Nations Cup.
The event, which is global, has the backing of Electronic Arts, KRAFTON, Tencent, Ubisoft, and others, and it is set to land in November. It will welcome competitors from more than 100 countries, competing across 15 games.
This is similar to the Esports World Cup, which is also hosted in Saudi Arabia, but it has a focus on national teams and not traditional esports organizations.
Esports already has a place in other multi-sport events, notes Inside the Games in a recent article. The 2026 Asian Games in Japan are keeping esports as an official medal discipline, with 11 confirmed titles.
And it’s not like the sport isn’t all but printing money at the international level. According to Grand View Research, the global esports market size was estimated at USD 2.13 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 7.46 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 23.1% from 2025 to 2030.
But in the meantime, the IOC is grappling with its own problems. Swim Swam leaked the news that the 2032 Brisbane Olympics are “set to undergo a significant reduction in the number of sports due to financial concerns, and even the sports retained could have some of their disciplines or events cut.”
The report wasn’t specific about what events or disciplines, but if confirmed, it would be a retreat from the record-high of 36 sports at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, in addition to adding new events in sports like swimming (the stroke 50s).
Brisbane’s bid originally included 28 sports, but that bid was made after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, which had 28 sports. The LA 2028 Games grew to 36, including five showcase sports requested by the Local Organizing Committee: softball and baseball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash.
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