The first edition of the eSports Olympics was announced for 2025. Then for 2027. But we'll have to wait a while longer, and for an indefinite periodLast Thursday, IOC President Kirsty Coventry made it clear that esports is not currently a priority. The project isn't officially dead, but the situation is becoming increasingly uncertain.
A case dusted off after the summer?
Since taking the helm of the IOC eleven months ago, Kirsty Coventry has sought to address as many issues as possible, to consult, engage in dialogue, and determine the best course of action. At the top of the list are the selection process for Olympic Games hosts and the protection of the women's category. Nine working groups have been established under the “Fit for the Future” initiative to tackle these priority issues. They focus on the Olympic program, the protection of the women's category, commercial and marketing partnerships, safeguarding the principles of Olympism, the delivery of the Olympic Games, the Youth Olympic Games, the Olympic Q-Series, building a better world through sport, and autonomy, ethics, and good governance.
And eSports, which Thomas Bach saw as fundamental for the IOC to follow " the pace of the digital revolution "Nothing?" Kirsty Coventry didn't bring it up herself last Thursday, following the executive board meeting. It was a journalist's question that prompted her to address the subject, which is perhaps telling. For the time being, the IOC focuses on its core business "And eSports is not among the priority topics," she explained, adding: The file is in the hands of my office. The project is very much on track, but it's all a matter of timing and when we'll be ready to submit it to the executive committee. That will be after June. »
"Reaching new audiences and exploring new avenues"
Esports entered the Olympic scene under the presidency of Thomas Bach, who widely praised its appeal: nearly three billion people participate in electronic sports and gaming, more than 500 million are specifically interested in esports, and, “ What's even more relevant for us is that a majority of them are under 34 years old."s," he emphasized. This led to the Olympic Virtual Series in 2021, then the Olympic eSports Week in Singapore in June 2023, and the announcement in 2024 of the first Olympic eSports Games in Saudi Arabia.
But since then, no real progress has been made, rather setbacks, or even a reversal. At the beginning of 2025, Thomas Bach had assured that there was " a very clear roadmap for the very first eSports Olympics and that he there were no obstacles "to these Games. This autumn, however, the partnership with Saudi Arabia, a key partner in the project, was halted. Uncertainties still surrounded the selection of the games and the qualification processes."
Clearly, Kirsty Coventry's arrival did not resolve the situation. In her campaign manifesto, she did, however, cite the eSports Olympics among " Examples that offer exciting opportunities to reach new audiences and explore new avenues, while remaining true to our Olympic values and increasing our revenue ».
