Today, during the 142nd IOC session, the International Olympic Committee voted to endorse the proposal by the Executive Board to create the Olympic Esports Games.
The members of the committee voted yes unanimously. Following the vote, work will begin to organize the first edition of the Games, which will be hosted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2025.
According to the announcement, said work includes selecting the hosting city and venue, the specific timing for the Games, the games that will be included, and how players will be able to qualify.
Below you can watch the moment of the vote which has been defined as “historic.”
Funnily, despite voting on such a modern question, the committee used a quite traditional method, by raising hands. So much so, that the President had to spend considerable time double-checking if there was anyone voting against the proposal or abstaining.
I suppose the first thing the IOC will have to learn about from the 2025 Olympic Esports Games is the existence of buttons.
IOC President Thomas Bach commented on the results of the session, mentioning that the Esports community has engaged enthusiastically with the initiative.
“This is truly a new era for the IOC. With the confirmation by the IOC Session of the creation of the Olympic Esports Games, we are keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution. The esports community, represented in our Esports Commission, has enthusiastically engaged with this initiative.
This is further proof of the attractivity of the Olympic brand and the values it stands for among young people. The NOC of Saudi Arabia will bring great – if not unique – experience in the field of esports to this project. This partnership is based on the Olympic Charter and the Olympic values.”
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, also commented, mentioning the rich past, exciting present, and promising future of esports in Saudi Arabia.
“Thanks to Vision 2030 introduced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, esports in Saudi Arabia already have a rich past, an exciting present, and a promising future.
And the reason why is the same reason why we are investing across all sports – our young people. Our commitment to esports is simply a reflection of the world our young people live in, and we now all have the chance to write new Olympic history together. The chance to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world.
We believe that taking part in the Olympics is the ultimate honor that any athlete can achieve. That is why we are committed to providing the ultimate platform for new heroes to perform and for the Olympic spirit to be shared.
Together we all share the prospect of instilling the Olympic values in new and innovative ways. And we look forward to welcoming the global esports community to the Kingdom in 2025.”
If you’re unfamiliar with Vision 2030, it’s a mega-project launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the declared goals to grow and diversify the economy, increase employment, enhance government effectiveness, enable social responsibility, strengthen Islamic and national identity, and offer a fulfilling and healthy life to the people.
Last, but not least, we hear from Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, who is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and President of the Women’s Committee, and presented the Olympic Esports Games project with Prince Abdulaziz.
Interestingly, she explained that the Kingdom includes 23.5 million gamers and almost half of them are female.
“The story of sport in Saudi Arabia is a story of transformation. A story of unleashing the incredible potential of the Saudi people, harnessing their passion for sport, and elevating their quality of life. Vision 2030, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016, has delivered a wave of more than 150 reforms that have transformed society, empowering women and youth.
As a nation, we already have over 23.5 million gamers, of whom almost half are female. We have been at the very heart of the esports industry for many years. We see that hosting the Olympic Esports Games in 2025 is a natural next step in our journey of opening up Saudi Arabia to the world and the world to Saudi.”
The IOC also announced that it will create a completely new and separate structure within its organization dedicated to the Olympic Esport Games, which will be organized and financed differently from the traditional Olympic Games.
