At long last, the Esports Olympics are happening. A historic vote during the 142nd session of the International Olympic Committee confirms it.
Since 2018, the IOC has been toying with the idea of implementing esports into the Olympics. This effort culminated with an Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in 2023.
The event was such a huge success that later that year, the IOC President asked the IOC Esports Commission at the 141st IOC Session to study the creation of the Olympic Esports Games.
“This is truly a new era for the IOC,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement. “With the confirmation by the IOC Session of the creation of the Olympic Esports Games, we are keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution.”
Where will the Esports Olympics take place?
According to Esports Illustrated, Saudi Arabia has been “heavily involved” with the conception of the Olympic Esports Games, so much so that the inaugural games will be held there.
But this might prove controversial due to the country’s dubious human rights record. Executions are on the rise, human rights organizations are banned, and homosexuality is outlawed. Many athletes and organizations have protested sports events being held in the region.
When the Saudi Arabian government launched an event it named the “Esports World Cup” in 2023, it was accused of “esportswashing” itself in order to distract from human rights violations.
The Olympic Esports Games, while exciting in theory, may pave the way for “esportswashing” on an even larger scale.
