A year after putting on an Olympic esports event that didn’t include any actual esports games, the International Olympic Committee has joined up with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia to do it for real in the first-ever Olympic Esports Games, set to be held in 2025.
The Olympic Esports deal between the IOC and Saudi Arabia is planned to run for 12 years, with events held “regularly” over the duration.
“We are very fortunate to be able to work with the Saudi NOC on the Olympic Esports Games, because it has great—if not unique—expertise in the field of esports with all its stakeholders,” IOC president Thomas Bach said in the announcement (via Insider Gaming). “The Olympic Esports Games will greatly benefit from this experience.
“By partnering with the Saudi NOC we have also ensured that the Olympic values are respected, in particular, with regard to the game titles on the programme, the promotion of gender equality and engagement with the young audience, which is embracing esports.”
That’s pretty rich given that Saudi Arabia recently sentenced women’s rights activist Manahel al-Otaibi to 11 years in prison for crimes like calling for an end to the country’s oppressive guardianship law and “going to the shops without wearing an abaya.”
But never mind that: Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Saudi Arabia’s minister of sport and president of its Olympic committee, said the deal represents “a new chapter in Olympic history that has the potential to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world.”
“As a ‘first’ ever Esports Olympic Games, obviously there is still much to consider and plan with the IOC, but we are committed to hosting a special event that respects and celebrates the Olympic values while boldly seizing the momentum to drive esports forward with the international platform the sport and its athletes deserve,” Al Faisal said.
Saudi Arabia has indeed become a major player on the esports scene, and videogames in general. In 2022, major esports organizer ESL Gaming and tournament platform FACEIT were both acquired by the country’s Public Investment Fund, which has also made significant investments into Electronic Arts, Embracer Group, Take-Two Interactive, Nexon, Capcom, and Nintendo.
The Olympic esports deal comes amidst what the IOC described as “a time of significant growth of sport overall in Saudi Arabia,” which has driven a significant rise in sports participation at all levels amongst men and women alike. The announcement notes particularly that there are now “over 330,000 registered female athletes and nearly 40 women’s national teams competing internationally,” and that “reforms to regulations ensure there is female representation on the boards of all sports federations.”
“Witnessing the growing trends of female participation in esports is very exciting,” IOC member Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud said. “I had the honour of working towards women’s empowerment in sport and in society as whole under Vision 2030, and the leadership of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the tremendous positive impact of sport for women and girls.”
Bin Salman, who is credibly accused by multiple intelligence agencies of ordering the murder and dismemberment of journalist and regime critic Jamal Khashoggi, said in a 2023 Fox News interview that he doesn’t care about accusations that he’s using “sportswashing” to distract from his government’s “horrific” abuses of human rights. “If sportswashing going to increase my GDP by way of one percent, then I will continue doing sportwashing. I don’t care,” he said.
The deal between Saudi Arabia and the IOC, which has faced its own laundry list of corruption allegations over the years, is complete, but there’s still much work to be done, including selecting a city and venue for the event, determining which games will be included, and who will be allowed to compete. The IOC will also create “a new dedicated structure within its organization” to operate the Olympic Esports Games.