IOC announces Olympic Esports Games to be hosted in Saudi Arabia

LAUSANNE - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Friday that it is partnering with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia to host the inaugural 2025 Olympic Esports Games in Saudi Arabia.

The proposal will be made to the IOC Session, which will be held on the eve of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Following the announcement, and the decision which will be taken by the IOC Session, work will begin on selecting a city and venue, the specific timing of the event, the titles to be included, the qualification process for the players and further details.

The IOC said that international federations already engaged in an e-version of their sport that is considered for inclusion in the Olympic Esports Games will be the IOC's first go-to partners. The same will be true for National Olympic Committees that already include esports in their activities.

At the same time, the IOC also announced plans to create a new dedicated structure within its organization, separate from the organizational and financial model for the Olympic Games. In order to address the specific nature of the Olympic Esports Games, the IOC said it would take a different approach with regard to the financing and organization of these Games.