IOC confirms first ever Olympic eSports Games postponed to 2027

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed recent rumors regarding the timing of the first-ever Olympic eSports Games and shared new details about the event.

Image source: SEGA

Recall that last summer the IOC announced that the debut Olympic eSports Games would be held in 2025 in Saudi Arabia – where exactly remained unclear until recently.

As it became known, the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, will be the venue for the first Olympic eSports Games. The event itself is now scheduled for 2027.

«There is now a very clear plan [for preparation] for the historic Olympic eSports Games. The road to the eSports Olympics starts this year. The Games are becoming a reality,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.

A committee of IOC and OKSA members will determine which games will be included in the competition programme (image source: IOC)

The Olympic eSports Games will be a project of the IOC and the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAC). The main partner of the event will be the non-profit organization Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF).

«The IOC and EWCF partnership aims to create a long-term impact, bridge the gap between esports and traditional sports, and expand opportunities for players and teams representing their countries,” the IOC press release reads.

According to SportBusiness, the competition could not be held in 2025 due to logistical reasons: publishers and international federations that had applied to participate were dissatisfied with the pace of preparation for the event.