The Worldwide Olympic Committee introduced on June 14 that it’s at present in “superior discussions with a possible host” for the upcoming first Olympic Esports Video games, however followers are skeptical of the occasion’s success after a largely lackluster version of the Video games final yr.
The event comes after IOC President Thomas Bach requested the IOC Esports Fee final yr to “examine the creation of the Olympic Esports Video games” and introduced it within the IOC session in Mumbai, India, final October. In response to the Related Press, the dates for the primary Olympic Esports Video games must be introduced quickly after the July 23 assembly in Paris.
One fan has already written off this yr’s version following the announcement in a June 14 put up on Reddit. One other believes the IOC is simply after a “slice of the pie,” and is failing to know the wants of an esports viewers earlier than it might probably correctly execute on one thing as massive and prestigious in identify because the Olympics.
Regardless of the “spectacular” participation and viewership numbers of the earlier Olympic Esports Collection, it didn’t resonate with the normal esports viewers. The absence of standard titles like League of Legends, Dota, and Counter-Strike was a significant level of competition. There have been some massive names, corresponding to Fortnite, however the battle royale sport was altered to suit with the Olympic Values, which took away its unique essence because it fell underneath bodily violence.
Many of the different titles in final yr’s version have been primarily based very closely on present sports activities, together with Zwift (biking), Digital Taekwondo (taekwondo), and Tennis Conflict (tennis), all very international video games to your commonplace esports fan. Many had hoped Rocket League—arguably probably the most tame of the top-line esports—would discover its place within the Olympics, however alas, it stays absent from any proposed record going ahead.
As the winners have been topped in 2023, it nonetheless left many followers looking forward to the esports Olympics, envisioning a future the place all the favored titles will make their place within the line-up. The esports lovers anticipate a very inclusive occasion that ties the world collectively, somewhat than only a present that homes placeholder “sport-esport” titles to seize the younger viewers’s consideration span.
Nevertheless, time will inform if the IOC has realized from its previous occasion and made modifications to its present lineup of video games to make it interesting to the vast majority of esports followers. Extra in regards to the IOC’s plans might be revealed after the Paris Olympic Video games in August.
