IOC Suspends Esports Committee Activities, Olympic Esports Prospects Take a Turn for the Worse
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has reportedly suspended the activities of its Esports Committee, dealing a major setback to efforts to bring video games into the Olympics. Despite the vision being announced nearly two years ago, there has been little substantive progress since then.
According to Japan’s Kyodo News, the IOC has put all discussions regarding esports on hold. In June of last year, the IOC appointed Kirsty Coventry as its new president, and she appears to have little interest in collaborating with the esports industry to attract younger audiences. The report indicates that under Coventry’s leadership, the push for esports inclusion in the Olympics is expected to slow significantly, as she prefers to focus on existing traditional sports.
Two years ago, the IOC announced with fanfare the Olympic Esports Games, originally scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2027. However, the event was subsequently canceled.
In response, the Esports Federation of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh established the Esports Nations Cup. This global event has garnered support from industry giants such as EA, KRAFTON, Tencent, and Ubisoft, and is scheduled to take place this November. It will feature athletes from over 100 countries competing in 15 events.
The Esports Nations Cup differs from the Esports World Cup, also held in Saudi Arabia, in that it focuses on competition between national teams rather than traditional esports clubs.
Notably, in addition to its lukewarm attitude towards esports, the IOC is also reducing the scale of other events. The number of events at the 2030 Winter Olympics and the 2032 Brisbane Olympics have both been cut.
In contrast, the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics earlier this year both achieved remarkably high viewership figures thanks to the popularity of streaming platforms. This may also be a reason why the IOC is hesitant to introduce esports as a radical option when seeking to attract younger audiences.
As of now, the IOC has not issued an official statement regarding reports of the suspension of the Esports Committee’s activities. The prospect of esports being included in the Olympics appears increasingly remote, at least for the duration of the current term.