Saudi Arabia will host the Olympic Esports Games for 12 years

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that starting in 2025, Saudi Arabia will host the new Esports Olympics Games for 12 years. This proposal will go to vote at the 142nd IOC Session during Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Last year's Olympic Esports Week left fans upset at the seemingly random choices of virtual sports games to be played. But now, the IOC reportedly aims to include big esports titles such as Rocket League, Street Fighter, and League of Legends.

Following a 2023 study, the IOC announced the creation of the Olympic Esports Games just last month. Members of the committee will vote on the proposal at the 142nd IOC Session during Olympic Games Paris 2024. Now, they are adding a host country to the proposal.

The IOC has partnered with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia to host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games 2025 in the country. Notably, the event will not move around the world like the normal Olympic Games do. Instead, Saudi Arabia will regularly host it for the next 12 years.

Their partnership with the IOC is merely the latest in Saudi Arabia's efforts to attract international esports fans to the country. Currently, they are hosting the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, with a record-breaking $60 million prize pool. Money seems to be no obstacle, however, given the commitment shown by this new 12-year partnership with the IOC.

Thankfully, the Olympic Esports Games seems to have benefitted from the IOC's previous forays into esports. The 2023 Olympic Esports Week faced plenty of backlash on social media due to its obscure list of games. Instead of widely-recognized esports titles, the IOC attempted to recreate familiar sports. The event featured games such as eBASEBALL, Virtual Taekwondo, and Tic Tac Bow.

This time around, the IOC is reportedly in discussions with the publishers of various big esports titles, including League of Legends, Rocket League, and Street Fighter. The latter two were already featured in the 2021 Intel World Open, a global event officially supported by the IOC.

Predictably, the choice of Saudi Arabia as a long-term host country is seeing a mixed reception from the community. Regardless, the choice of games and a host with experience hosting esports events can be a positive. The Olympic Esports Games 2025 is set to be the IOC's most complete gaming event to date.

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