The International Olympic Committee has announced that the first Olympic Esports Games will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2025.
The Olympic Esports Games will consist of the following three series:
- Virtual athlete esports, which are physical sports competitions conducted online, such as online cycling races;
- Simulated sports, which are Olympic events presented in game form, such as virtual soccer and virtual sailing competitions;
- "Real games," such as League of Legends and other major esports games.
Esports competitions from an economic perspective are the most important part of the Olympic Esports Games.
The Olympic Esports Games will become an independent sports event, not held at the same time as traditional Olympics, nor attached to traditional Olympic Games.
At present, the number of virtual sports audience is less than that of esports games such as League of Legends, but in the appropriate situation, virtual sports will receive more attention in the future.
The form and cycle of the Olympic Esports Games are being discussed internally by the International Olympic Committee, including the frequency of every two years or every four years, the selection of events, and the choice of communication channels. As for one of the most critical issues, the form of participation for athletes, the International Olympic Committee is exploring whether they should participate as national teams or club teams. "If we remain true to the Olympic spirit, we prefer the national team format."
