TheeSport world is about to get its very own Olympic Games! Following trials in 2021 and 2023 with the " Olympic Virtual Series " and " Olympic Esport Week ", the International Olympic Committee (IOC) took a historic step this summer by announcing the first edition of these Games, to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2025. A 12-year partnership between the IOC and the Saudi National Olympic Committee formalized this major first.
The IOC has been interested ineSport for several years, particularly since 2018 with the launch of the first Esports Forum. These Olympic Games are the logical continuation of the actions taken to promote Olympic values within gamer communities, and attract younger generations to this universe. According to IOC President Thomas Bach, " Through this partnership, [...] the values of Olympism would be respected, in particular with regard to the games on the program, the promotion of gender equality and the involvement of young audiences ".Saudi Arabia, with over 23.5 million players, half of whom are women, is keen to reinforce this inclusive approach.
While popular games such as League of Legends and Rocket League could feature on the program, the organization of the eSport Olympics will require a dedicated structure to manage this new kind of competition. Gamers from all over the world, get ready to make Olympic history - digitally!
