The International Olympic Committee announced on Friday its decision to establish the “Olympic Esports Games,” an international competition modeled after the Summer and Winter Olympics but focusing solely on virtual sports and video games. This initiative is expected to receive final approval at an upcoming meeting of IOC members in Paris next month.
“By launching the Olympic Esports Games, the IOC is taking a significant stride forward to keep pace with the digital revolution,” stated IOC president Thomas Bach.
Bach had previously informed Xinhua, a state-run news agency in China, that the inaugural edition of the Olympic Esports Games could debut as early as next year and no later than 2026. He also disclosed on Friday that the IOC is currently in advanced discussions with a potential host.
The Esports Games will encompass three categories of video games, Bach explained. These will include virtual sports like e-cycling, which involve physical elements and replicate real sports, alongside two types of traditional video games: Sports simulation games (such as NBA 2K) and what Bach termed “traditional e-games,” encompassing non-sporting video games.
The announcement on Friday clarifies that video game competitions will not coincide with traditional Olympic events like gymnastics and swimming at the forthcoming Paris Olympics next month. Instead, the IOC emphasized that the Esports Games will be an entirely separate event managed by a distinct team within the IOC.
“We must maintain a clear separation of this structure from the organizational and financial model applied to the Olympic Games,” Bach underscored.
The IOC has been gradually moving towards and hinting at the creation of the Olympic Esports Games over recent years. It previously hosted the “Olympic Esports Series” in Singapore last year, and officials have consistently emphasized their efforts to explore new avenues for engaging younger audiences.