The first edition of the Olympic Esports Games are on the way in what will be a big new step forward in the competitive gaming world.
The Olympics have been edging closer and closer to esports in recent years thanks to the Olympic Esports Series.
The first staging of the event took place in Singapore in June 2023 but fans have been waiting for a follow-up ever since.
Following last August’s IOC (International Olympic Council) session, the Olympic organisers agreed to replace the Series with the brand-new Olympic Esports Games.
Olympic Esports Games
Although the first staging of the event was slated for tis year, it has now been announced that it has been delayed until 2027.
Going forward, the new event will be held every two years, in-between the Summer and Winter Olympics.
The inaugural Games will be held in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, with the Gulf State already being the home to the Esports World Cup, the largest competitive gaming event in the world that boasts a purse of more than €60 million.
Unlike at the regular Olympic Games, medals will not be awarded at the Esports variant – instead the top three in each event will be awarded gold, silver, and bronze-coloured trophies.
To build up to the big event, the Road to the Games with the first Olympic competitions will already start later this year.
‘There is now a very clear roadmap to the historic first-ever Olympic Esports Games,’ said IOC president Thomas Bach.
‘With the Road to the Olympic Esports Games starting this year, the Games are becoming a reality. This is further evidence of the strength of the partnership between the IOC and the SOPC (Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee) in many areas.’
It remains to be seen what games will be part of the line-up, as it was previously hinted that titles such as Rocket League, Street Fighter 6, and the NBA 2K series could all be involved.
