This landmark event marks a significant step in integrating esports into the global sports landscape.
The announcement comes after delays from the original 2025 target due to concerns over event structure, qualification processes, and financial models.
The IOC has partnered with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) under a 12-year agreement, covering three Olympic cycles.
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has been named as the Founding Partner, bringing its expertise in game selection, tournament organisation, and ecosystem development.
Together, they aim to create a globally recognised competition with standardised qualification pathways and strong competitive integrity.
The first-ever Olympic Esports Games will be held in Riyadh in 2027, with the journey starting this year already!
Find out more here: https://t.co/qhhOQ9KDWI@EWC_EN pic.twitter.com/NtfC85gZLE
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 11, 2025
“With the Road to the Olympic Esports Games starting this year, the Games are becoming a reality,” IOC President Thomas Bach said.
“This highlights the strength of our partnership with the SOPC and our commitment to the growth of esports.”
Saudi Arabia’s role as host reflects its growing influence in esports, fueled by significant investments and strategic partnerships.
The country hosts the Esports World Cup in Riyadh and has invested heavily through its Public Investment Fund (PIF) in major esports companies like ESL FACEIT Group.
Additionally, a partnership with Riot Games will bring competitions for popular titles such as VALORANT and League of Legends to Saudi Arabia.
However, Saudi Arabia’s involvement in global esports has drawn criticism.
Human rights concerns, particularly regarding women’s rights and LGBTQ+ issues, have led to accusations of “esportswashing”—using high-profile events to improve its international image.
These concerns are likely to persist as the Games approach, raising broader ethical questions about the intersection of sports, politics, and global business.
A joint committee, co-chaired by IOC Member Ser Miang Ng and SOPC President Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, will oversee the Games’ development.
The event will be held every two years, unlike the traditional four-year Olympic cycle, reflecting the fast-paced nature of the esports industry.
With the global esports market projected to grow from $4 billion in 2024 to nearly $6 billion by 2028, the Olympic Esports Games are set to become a defining event in the world of competitive gaming.
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As fans prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games featuring traditional sports like swimming, beach volleyball, and gymnastics, this decision sets the stage for video games to join the global competition.
Esports fans have shown mixed reactions to the news, but industry leaders see significant potential.
Gen.G Esports CEO Arnold Hur emphasised the broader implications for government and educational support.
“This may not matter much to the average esports fan, but this has huge implications for government and educational support for esports at all levels,” Hur said.
“Whether it’s renting a venue for a match in Seoul or receiving course credit for an esports/gaming industry course, this is big.”
Although shooter games like Counter-Strike 2 and Call of Duty will not be included, the likely lineup features popular titles such as League of Legends, Rocket League, Street Fighter, Tekken, iRacing, NBA 2K, FIFA, and various mobile games, according to esports insider Rod “Slasher” Breslau.
A HISTORIC VOTE!
The 142nd IOC Session votes for the creation of the Olympic Esports Games.
Mark the date
pic.twitter.com/CPRrwrirba
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 23, 2024
IOC President Thomas Bach remarked on this milestone: “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.
“The esports community, represented in our Esports Commission, has enthusiastically engaged with this initiative.
“This is further proof of the attractiveness of the Olympic brand and the values it stands for among young people.”
Last year, the Olympic Games hosted the Olympic Esports Series, where esports were tailored to their real-life counterparts, such as Fortnite for shooting and Tennis Clash for tennis.
The 2025 Olympic Esports Games will mark the first official inclusion of esports as part of the Olympic movement.
The IOC has partnered with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia for the next 12 years, ensuring that the Olympic Esports Games will be hosted in the Kingdom for the next three editions.
This decision follows the successful Olympic Esports Week in Singapore, which prompted IOC President Bach to commission a study on the creation of the Olympic Esports Games.
The IOC Esports Commission, led by IOC Member David Lappartient and including top esports representatives like G2 Esports CEO Alban Dechelotte, has designed a project that merges gaming with Olympic values, promoting gender equality and youth engagement.
Work will commence immediately to select a city and venue for next year’s inaugural edition, with more details to be announced soon.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, already hosting the first Esports World Cup, is investing heavily in sports and entertainment as part of Vision 2030, aiming to diversify its economy and cultural landscape.
“This partnership is based on the Olympic Charter and the Olympic values,” said Bach.
“The NOC of Saudi Arabia will bring great – if not unique – experience in the field of esports to this project.”
]]>The inaugural event will be hosted by Saudi Arabia, as revealed by L’Equipe.
This announcement follows the success of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, which hosts 21 esports titles across 22 tournaments and aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, which heavily invests in the esports industry.
The IOC has partnered with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia to host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games 2025 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This follows the IOC’s recent announcement to establish the Olympic Esports Games.
More: https://t.co/by155ZBxfn pic.twitter.com/l7GimbPzZj
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 12, 2024
Thomas Bach explained that the Esports Olympics would be organised within a new specialised structure within the IOC and would be distinct from the traditional Olympic Games in terms of organisation and financial model.
The initiative awaits validation at the 142nd IOC session.
The event is planned to take place at the end of 2025 to accommodate various competitive calendars.
Following the inaugural event, the Olympic Esports Games will occur every two years, with South Korea and the United States already in discussions to host future editions.
The Olympic Esports Games will feature three categories: virtual sports, sports simulations (such as EA FC24 and NBA2K), and popular esports games (like League of Legends).
The IOC aims to include around 15 games across these categories, engaging over 60 nations.
Discussions are underway to incorporate games like Rocket League and Street Fighter.
This new initiative marks the IOC’s renewed effort to integrate esports into the Olympics ecosystem, following past attempts that had limited success.
The IOC acknowledges the unique aspects of esports, particularly those games like League of Legends that are not linked to traditional sports or international sports federations.
Despite previous challenges, the IOC remains optimistic about esports’ place within the Olympic framework.
Bach highlighted the enthusiastic response from the esports community and the attractiveness of the Olympic brand.
Historically, the IOC has supported esports events, such as the 2019 Intel World Open featuring Rocket League and Street Fighter V, and the FIFAe World Cup established in 2004.
The formal approval of the Olympic Esports Games is expected during the IOC committee meeting from July 22–24, 2024.
Details regarding the specific titles and further organisational aspects will follow post-approval.
The IOC has entered into a 12-year partnership with the Saudi Olympic Committee to host the games, ensuring continuity and leveraging Saudi Arabia’s expertise in esports.
However, this partnership has faced criticism due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, particularly concerning women and LGBTQ+ communities.
In conclusion, the IOC’s partnership with Saudi Arabia for the Olympic Esports Games signifies a significant step towards integrating esports into the Olympic movement, promising a distinct structure and approach while aiming to uphold Olympic values.
]]>This partnership aims to exchange information, insights, and best practices to combat corruption and misconduct in esports.
The IOC’s Olympic Movement Unit for the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC) will play a key role in this initiative, helping to develop and implement strategies, initiatives, and programs to enhance integrity in esports.
ESIC will act as an advisory body, providing guidance and expertise to the IOC and OM Unit PMC.
Founded in 2016, ESIC is a non-profit organization focused on addressing integrity concerns in the esports industry, including prosecuting breaches such as match-fixing.
Recently, a new board featuring executives from Electronic Sports League (ESL) and BLAST was established to strengthen ethical practices through frameworks and benchmarks to tackle issues like cheating.
The IOC has increasingly invested in the esports space, establishing a new official commission last year that includes notable stakeholders from G2 Esports, Ubisoft, and Konami.
Additionally, the IOC announced plans to create an Olympic Esports Games following the Olympic Esports Series, which featured competitions in titles such as Gran Turismo, Zwift, and Just Dance.
Friedrich Martens, Head of the OM Unit PMC at the IOC, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating: “With numerous IFs organizing esports competitions and the IOC planning to organize relevant competitions as well, we need to ensure that we have all the information and intelligence available to make sure that these competitions are free of manipulations or related breaches.
“Therefore, we are very happy about this letter of collaboration formalizing the long-standing communication between ESIC and the OM Unit PMC, particularly as esports is a developing area.
“Thus, we count on the support of ESIC for safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the esports competitions of the Olympic Movement, specifically to also further understand relevant risks and develop all right measures to mitigate them.”
Stephen Hanna, CEO of ESIC, also shared his enthusiasm, stating: “This collaboration with the IOC and the OM Unit PMC denotes a significant milestone for the global esports industry and is a testament to the IOC’s engagement with the industry in the development of its esports strategy.
“We are looking forward to working with the IOC to support its ambitious esports initiatives.
“This collaboration further validates the critical nature of ESIC’s mission and provides the industry with further assurance that ESIC’s work is meeting the evolving challenges to competitive integrity in esports.”
ESIC has been diligent in its efforts to disrupt, prevent, investigate, and prosecute cheating and malpractice in esports.
In April 2024, ESIC launched the FairPlay Academy, a learning platform aimed at promoting fair play, ethics, and anti-corruption within esports and gaming.
The International Olympic Committee, renowned for organizing The Olympic Games, positions itself as the guardian of the Olympic Games and the leader of the Olympic Movement.
It fosters collaboration among Olympic nations, stakeholders, athletes, and more.
The OM Unit PMC is an internal IOC unit dedicated to supporting International Sports Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), multi-sports event organizers, and other sports organizations in their efforts to protect the integrity of their sports and competitions.
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