Esports in the Olympics: The Road to Recognition in 2024

The Rise of Esports: From Niche to Mainstream

Esports, or competitive video gaming is one of the most rapidly growing industries today, and has expanded in ways that are hard to imagine. What started as a fad has today amassed millions of viewers and earned billions of dollars in revenue. It has, however, raised the interest of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) already on the lookout for ways to integrate esports into the Olympic movement.

The Olympic Esports Series: A Stepping Stone

For the first time, the IOC moved to include esports into the Olympic calendar and organise the first Olympic Esports Games in 2023. This global virtual and simulated sports event involves six games across six sports: archery, baseball, chess, sailing, and tennis. The event concluded with the live finals in the very first Olympic Esports Week in Singapore which demonstrate that esports can join the Olympic family.

The Creation of the Olympic Esports Games

The success of the Olympic Esports Series paved the way for an even more ambitious endeavor: the Olympic Esports Games. The IOC revealed these games in July 2024 with the first edition to be held in 2025 in Saudi Arabia. This decision has been made at the IOC Session and is historical for the Olympic movement and the esports.

Addressing Concerns and Upholding Olympic Values

However, the IOC has some issues in the process of creating the Olympic Esports Games. As for the issues, there are the questions of how to distinguish which games are related to the Olympic values, for instance, the problem of violence and depiction. The IOC has said that games from the Counter-Strike and Call of Duty series will not be allowed as they go against the idea of the peaceful competition.
To this end, the IOC Esports Commission has developed a project that “meets the interests of the esports community and complies with the Olympic principles.” This range from proper choice of game titles, gender equally especially targeting the youths as the majority of the population that is most active in the esports industry.

The Impact on the Esports Industry

The addition of Esports to the Olympic movement will have some immense effects on the entire Esports business. With the Olympic Esports Games, the esport athletes will be able to represent their countries in the international event. This national representation could lead to the formation of some exciting encounters and could also assist in raising the standard of competition at this event.
Furthermore, the IOC can therefore open up opportunities and growth for women in the area of esports and thus ensure equity in gender. According to the CEO of G2 Esports, Alban Dechelotte, the goal of reaching gender balance in male and female gamers in the esports Olympics is meaningful.

The Future of Esports in the Olympic Movement

The Olympic Esports Games can be considered as the first attempt to include esports into the list of competitive sports. The incorporation of esports in the society and as the IOC is still in the process

Yet, there are some questions that remain unanswered, but IOC’s intention to preserve the Olympic values and to bring in the representatives of the new world of Looking ahead, the chances of seeing esports at the Olympics are now better than ever as everyone awaits the first Olympic Esports Games in 2025.