The first Esports Olympic Games were delayed to 2027 last month.
The International Olympic Committee has locked in a partnership with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee to produce the Esports Olympic Games, as confirmed by the IOC on Feb. 11.
The Saudi-backed Esports World Cup Foundation will be the "Founding Partner" of the Games, which are set to begin in 2027 and hosted in Riyadh. 2025 will see the "Road to the Olympic Esports Games" take place with competitions across multiple esports titles starting soon.
EWC links with IOC for delayed 2027 Esports Olympic Games
IOC announced the official partnership in the early hours of Feb. 11. It comes with little surprise given the IOC had already confirmed the Saudi capital as the host city alongside the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia.
The EWCF partnership is intended to "create a lasting impact, bridging the gap between esports and traditional sports while expanding opportunities for players and teams representing their countries."
It is hoped the EWCF's "expertise" in tournament structure, ecosystem engagement, and its own partnerships with game publishers will benefit the Games.
"Today the journey to the first-ever Olympic Esports Games is clear, with an immediate timeline that works for all parties and sees the Road to Olympic Esports Games start in 2025," Saudi Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said.
"Already Saudi Arabia is looking forward to welcoming the world and playing its part to help the dreams of so many esports athletes come true. Just as we are seeing across all sports in the Kingdom, there is real growth and new opportunities to grasp as part of an exciting future for all."
The EWCF was formed in 2023 with two iterations of the Esports World Cup run from the Saudi capital. 2025's edition of the event is set to take place over eight weeks in July and August, and a few big games have already been revealed to return.
Just yesterday EWC announced a partnership with Riot Games to lock in League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and VALORANT at the event for the next three years. It isn't clear whether EWC will convert into the Esports Olympic Games in 2027, or if the pair will be run in tandem.
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Eyes turn to "Road to the Esports Olympic Games" but details are sparse
The press release confirms the EWCF will act as a founding partner — but the Games won't take place this year as planned.
Instead, it was decided the inaugural edition of the Games will begin in 2027. The call to delay the Games came in late January with concerned groups unhappy over the lack of detail planned by the committee.
With no games, venues, or participants locked in, the decision to delay was expected. But today, the IOC (together with the SOPC) announced a plan for the Games starting with the Road to the Olympic Esports Games — a series of qualifiers and an outline of participants — beginning this year instead.
“There is now a very clear roadmap to the historic first-ever Olympic Esports Games," IOC President Thomas Bach said. "With the Road to the Olympic Esports Games starting this year, the Games are becoming a reality."
Despite this, details surrounding these qualifiers are still sparse. Participant countries, titles, and dates for the qualifiers are up in the air, and with the esports calendar already packed for the year ahead, it'll be onto SOPC and EWCF officials to carve out the time needed.
The 142nd IOC Session in Paris ratified the Esports Olympic Games in 2024, with Saudi Arabia expected to host the Games for the next 12 years.
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