The International Olympic Committee has announced plans to create the Olympic Esports Games.
During the opening ceremony of the 141st IOC session on Saturday in Mumbai, India, IOC president Thomas Bach revealed that the recently formed IOC Esports Commission will “study the creation” of such an event.
“With respect to esports, our values are and remain the red line that we will not cross,” said Bach. “Our crystal-clear position is gaining more and more respect also in the esports community.”
The news follows the first in-person Olympic Esports week in Singapore earlier this year, which saw 20,000 people attend as reported by The Straits Times.
Olympic Esports week followed the 2021 virtual event which attracted 250,000 players.
“In Singapore, we saw proof that our holistic approach is working,” Bach added. “We successfully brought together the Olympic and esports communities.”
He concluded: “This was a promising start. But it is just that: a start. It is like in any sport: after even a promising start, the real race still lies ahead.”
Esports also successfully featured in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but was dropped for the 2026 edition. No reason was given for the decision.
