Times change, the concept of sport evolves and in 2025 the Olympic flame will light up the competitive spirit of both athletes in traditional disciplines and the best video game players: after a vote approved unanimouslythe International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced the creation of the eSports Olympics. Furthermore, preparations for the first edition have already begun.
The first eSports Olympics will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the year 2025. The date and format are yet to be determined, although preparations for the event have begun with immediate effect and with a commitment not only to start the path forward from here to the future, but to Promote Olympic values through a new infrastructure, created for the occasion and separate from the organisational and financial model of the Olympic Games. What kind of disciplines will there be? More than disciplines, they will be video games.
In fact, right after the 142nd IOC Session held in Paris, the Saudi Arabian NOC started working on the inaugural edition, starting with the selection of a city and venue for this major event, promoting a calendar and, most importantly, the video game selection process that will be included, which goes hand in hand with the qualification process for the players.
“The IOC has entered a new era with the creation of the Olympic eSports Games, the first edition of which will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2025, as the proposal was unanimously endorsed by the IOC Executive Board.”
The rise of eSports goes back a long way. Competitions were already taking place in the glory days of the legendary Atari and there have been games and major events that have paved the way to where we are: the Starcraft hit, the major League of Legends and DOTA2 events, fighting game tournaments like EVO or the ability to bring players together around multitudinous live matches of annual sagas like Call of Duty, EA Sports FC (or FIFA) or absolutely timeless ones like Counter Strike.
Of course, this movement is intended to adapt to the interests of new generations who have a special attachment to competitive video games and their stars. It is a definitive boost to the creation of new professional teams of players with fully professional aspirations, to consolidate self-sustaining and regulated structures for those that already existed and, above all, the possibility of taking the passion for video games to another level.
“We believe that participating in the Olympic Games is the highest honour that any athlete can achieve. That is why we are committed to providing the ultimate platform for new heroes to perform and for the Olympic spirit to be shared. Together, we all share the vision of instilling Olympic values in new and innovative ways. And we look forward to welcoming the global esports community to the Kingdom in 2025.”
It will be interesting to see how this affects the current landscape of the gaming industry and how the priorities of small and large companies are rethought, but one thing is clear: Huge barriers have just been torn down for countless video game enthusiasts who may not have had a particular interest in a particular sport, but who in one way or another already carried the genuine Olympic spirit without knowing it.
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