The International Olympic Committee (ICO) announced the creation of the Olympic eSports Games on July 23, 2024.
This came after a unanimous vote during the 142nd IOC session on the eve of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The inaugural Olympic Esports Games will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2025.
A Partnership With Saudi NOC
The growing popularity of sport, particularly eSports, in Saudi Arabia played a major role in its credentials to host the inaugural Olympic eSports Games. Currently, 67% of the Saudi population consider themselves gamers, a reflection of the many international events the Kingdom hosts.
Prior to the inclusion of eSports in the Olympic Games, Saudi Arabia hosted the inaugural eSports World Cup. The event started on July 3, 2024, and will end on August 25, attracting over 1,500 players from top eSports clubs worldwide. This further validates the country’s hosting credentials.
Compared to other countries big on gaming like Australia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is becoming a competitive hub for eSports events. These events in the country attract over three million fans, with over 1 billion streaming views. The only difference between the two countries is that Australia complements eSports with iGaming, widening its entertainment portfolio. For instance, there are pokie apps for Australians where players can access tested mobile pokies and sports markets and bet for real money.
The partnership between the IOC and Saudi Arabia’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) comes at a time when the sports industry in Saudi Arabia is thriving. Saudi Arabia has hosted over 100 international tournaments, including eSports, motorsports, football, and golf.
Work is underway to select a city, venue, time, titles, and qualification parameters for the inaugural Olympic eSports Games.
It Has Been a Journey, and it Has Bore Fruits
In its pursuit of keeping up with the digital revolution, the IOC has been engaging with eSports since 2018, even creating the eSports Commission. This inclusive approach to representing the eSports community resulted in the organization of the Olympic eSports Week 2023 in Singapore.
The success of this event attracted the attention of Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC. During the 141st IOC session in Mumbai, India, in October 2023, he asked the IOC eSports Commission to study the creation of the Olympic eSports Games.
David Lappartient, an IOC member, led the commission in creating an Olympics eSports project. The project aimed to address the interests of the eSports community while upholding the values of the Olympics. This included the game variants to include in the program, engaging the younger generation, and promoting gender equality.
Sports Leaders Welcome Olympic eSports Games in Saudi Arabia
Speaking after unveiling the 12 years partnership between IOC and NOC, the president of IOC, Thomas Bach, said the tournament will be held regularly. He appreciated the unique expertise of NOC and its stakeholders in promoting eSports, with an assurance that the Olympic values will be respected.
HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, was excited about the partnership. He said that the prospect of hosting the Olympic eSports Games aligns with the country’s ambition to create new dreams for millions of athletes worldwide.
Prince Abdulaziz acknowledged that there’s still much to plan and will work closely with the IOC to host a memorable and special event. He said the world will receive an open invitation to join Saudi Arabia in 2025 to celebrate the ‘first’ ever eSports Olympic Games.
What’s the Driving Force?
Recently, the iGaming industry has seen significant growth due to its commitment to supporting the community it serves. A good example is Altenar’s support of Isle of Man Athletics volunteers.
In Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud supports the eSports community. This has made Saudi Arabia a growing hub for professional eSports, with over 23 million local gamers.
Hosting the inaugural Olympic eSports Games aligns with Saudi Arabian’s social and economic transformation as stipulated in its Vision 2030. The country has been hosting global sports events since 2018, making sports a part of everyday life in the kingdom.
The number of sports federations in the kingdom has also increased from 32 to 98. In a quest to achieve gender equality, Saudi Arabia has registered over 330,000 female athletes and 40 Women’s national teams. Interestingly, almost half of the country’s gaming community is female.
What’s Saudi Arabia’s secret? The kingdom has invested in grassroots sports, making sports an inclusive part of the school curriculum.
UC’s eSports Celebrates
Speaking after the announcement, Patty Moser, director of UC eSports, said, “embracing eSports in the Olympics is creating a competitive world of video gaming.” This comes at a time when there are over 3 billion gamers, and the global eSports market is projected to hit $2.39 billion.
Moser believes that the inclusion of eSports in the Olympics will attract a younger generation and onboard new sponsors. This will allow the development of eSports as a professional career, allowing athletes to showcase their skills on a global stage.
Final Words
The decision to include eSports in the Olympics is a bold step to bridge the gap between the physical and digital sporting communities. With the 12-year partnership between the IOC and NOC, the inaugural Olympic eSports Games will be held in 2025 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The IOC has yet to announce the games to be included in the program. However, plans are underway to choose the city, venue, qualification process, and timing of the event.
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