The first Olympic Esports event will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2025. This comes with the announcement that the Olympic Esports Games has partnered with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia for the next 12 years.
Saudi Arabia To Host First Olympic Esports Games
On the 14th of June, 2024, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced its proposal for an Olympic Esports Games, and that further news would follow. We now know that the IOC has not only secured its first host and partner for the event but that the first-ever Olympic Esports Games will begin in 2025.
The Games will be hosted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, thanks to a 12-year deal between the IOC and the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia. This means that any Olympic Esports Games will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the next 12 years. It is unknown how often the Games will be held or whether they will follow the Olympic tradition of hosting an event every four years.
In response to the announcement, the President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, said:
“As a ‘first’ ever Esports Olympic Games, obviously there is still much to consider and plan with the IOC, but we are committed to hosting a special event that respects and celebrates the Olympic values while boldly seizing the momentum to drive esports forward with the international platform the sport and its athletes deserve. The world will have an open invitation to join us in 2025 and celebrate this moment together.”
Related: Competitive Pokemon Deserves More Recognition as an Esport
What Games Will Be Played at the Olympic Esports Games?
It is currently unknown exactly what games players will compete in at the Olympic Esports Games. The only information on that front comes from a quote from Thomas Bach, the IOC president:
“By partnering with the Saudi NOC we have also ensured that the Olympic values are respected, in particular, with regard to the game titles on the programme, the promotion of gender equality and engagement with the young audience, which is embracing esports.”
How this will relate to the games that will be on the Olympic Esports Games programme is unclear. The implication is that any game that does not represent Olympic values will be unable to appear at the Olympic Esports Games. The IOC defines the Olympic values as “excellence, respect, and friendship,” so it will have to be seen which titles (specifically more violent esports titles) are deemed to meet these values.
