Saudi Arabia to host first ever Olympic Esports Games in 2025

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Friday that Saudi Arabia will host the first-ever Olympic Esports Games in 2025.

The IOC revealed that it will enter into a 12-year partnership with the Saudi National Olympic Committee. This decision is set to be ratified at the upcoming IOC session on the eve of the Olympic Games in Paris, after which the selection process for the host city will commence.

"We are very fortunate to work with the Saudi NOC on the Olympic Esports Games. Saudi Arabia has significant expertise in esports, which will be invaluable," said IOC President Thomas Bach in a statement. "The Olympic Esports Games will greatly benefit from this experience."

The IOC has been exploring the potential of esports for several years and has established a dedicated commission to identify opportunities. In 2021, the IOC launched the Olympic Virtual Series, a pilot venture in esports.

"We are a youthful nation, with over 23 million gamers," said Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, the Saudi Minister of Sport. "Our kingdom has become a global hub for professional esports. This is a natural next step for our young athletes, our country, and the global esports community."

Last year, Saudi Arabia launched an annual Esports World Cup, with the first edition currently taking place in Riyadh from July 3 to August 25.

The IOC has been striving to engage a younger generation of potential fans, as its traditional audience base ages. The committee mentioned that a new dedicated structure would need to be created within the organization, separate from the organizational and financial model for the Olympic Games.

The IOC launched its first esports pilot, the Olympic Virtual Series, in 2021 followed by the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in June 2023. This event brought together over 130 players from around the world, competing in 10 mixed-gender categories, attracting over 500,000 unique participants and six million views, with 75% of the audience aged 13 to 34.

Indian esports industry stands to gain significantly from this development. Following a bronze medal win in DOTA 2 at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and competing in five titles at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the ground breaking development, Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and MD of NODWIN Gaming, said, “NODWIN Gaming is thrilled that esports has earned its place in the Olympics with its own standalone event, akin to the Summer, Winter, and Paralympics. This recognition allows countries to develop independent esports programs. Together with our partners in the GEF and the EWC, NODWIN Gaming is eager to build esports in our core growth markets, seizing this opportunity for hope and glory.”

Lokesh Suji, the Director of the ESFI, and the Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF), expressed his excitement at the development: “This decision marks a significant milestone in the global recognition and growth of esports, providing a prestigious platform for athletes from around the world to showcase their skills on an unparalleled stage. Finally, esports at the Olympics—this is the news we have all been waiting for. We thank the leadership and the entire IOC for transforming our dreams into reality.”