The eSports Olympics have officially been postponed until 2027. This is no surprise to industry players, who had prepared for the idea for several weeks. On Tuesday, February 11, Thomas Bach was pleased to see that "there is now a very clear road map", without mentioning any setbacks, for the very first edition of this competition which will be held in Saudi Arabia. Sylvie Le Maux, vice-president of the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) in charge of eSport, gives her view on this postponement for FrancsJeux.
FrancsJeux : How do you react to this announcement?
Sylvie Le Maux : It's not a surprise, it confirms what I thought and what the rumors were saying. It's good because we wouldn't have had time to prepare properly, it would have put everyone in difficulty. The shorter the time, the more we would have had to go through an invitation model, which does not correspond to the Olympic model. Any athlete who participates in the Olympic Games wants to be selected, not invited. For the players, entering the Olympic movement, participating with the flag of the French team, is absolutely great. But we need a framework and rules, otherwise it degrades the event.
What feedback did you get from industry players?
They all thought it couldn't happen in December 2025, but everyone was eager for it to be said officially. I'm often in contact with clubs and I see some publishers regularly. I was recently with Marc de Saxce, from Riot Games. He told me: “My diary has been full for December 2025 for a long time.” The timing was too short. It's very new that a publisher works with the IOC to rewrite or adapt a game. It's an atypical relationship, it can't be done in such a short time.
The IOC has announced a partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation to organize these Games. What do you think?
It makes sense to me. They organize their tournament, the Esports World Cup, for two months every summer. They are the most expert, they know how to do an event in a given time with the equipment, the service providers and the logistics that it requires. It is in the same place, in Saudi Arabia, so we might as well rely on them.
Does this postponement erase all concerns, or does it raise other problems?
The press release is not yet very precise, there are still uncertainties. What I fear is that the world of eSports is moving so fast that when we talk to them about 2027, it's the next century. What says that LOL will still be a game loved around the world, or that another game will not appear in the meantime and make new generations happy? We will no longer necessarily speak to the same players, the teams will not necessarily be ranked in the same way... Everything changes so quickly, I don't know if we will speak to the same people as those we identify today.
Where is the CNOSF in its preparation for this first edition?
I formed a working group with players, clubs, publishers, agencies… A group of 13-15 people who represent the entire eSport ecosystem. We will meet as soon as possible to put the topics on the table and work in an agile manner so that the player and the club are truly at the heart of the debate. To compose the French teams, we will consult the coaches of each club because the clubs all agree to select the best. It is not easy, we are not going to suddenly find a national eSport coach like in other disciplines. We must adapt our thinking and our process to the eSport model today. At the same time, my role is also to support and accelerate the structuring of eSport in France, which will help us. I am making some progress because I saw the sports advisors of the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister over the last two weeks. They are taking charge of the subject. They should normally talk about it among themselves this week.
