IOC and Saudi Arabia
IOC and Saudi Arabia Cancel 12-Year Esports Olympics Deal
IOC and Saudi Arabia end their 12-year Esports Olympics hosting deal in Riyadh, marking a rare setback for Vision 2030.
Highlights
- The IOC and Saudi Arabia mutually end their 12-year Esports Olympics deal, pausing Riyadh's role as host for the Olympic Esports Games.
- Concerns over game titles and alignment with Olympic values contributed to the cancellation, reflecting the challenges of merging esports with traditional sports.
- IOC plans to explore new partnership models and aims to host the Olympic Esports Games soon under a fresh, long-term strategy.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Saudi Arabia have mutually canceled their 12-year agreement to host the Esports Olympics in Riyadh. The event was a key part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 sports modernization program under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The inaugural Games, originally planned for 2025 and later postponed to 2027, will no longer be hosted under this partnership. Both sides remain committed to pursuing separate esports ambitions but will develop a new approach to the Olympic Esports Games.
IOC Has Concerns Over Titles Like Call of Duty and Street Fighter
The partnership, announced in 2024 just before the Paris Olympics, was intended to position Saudi Arabia as a global esports hub. However, challenges including IOC concerns over game titles like Call of Duty and Street Fighter, which pose values endorsement issues, contributed to the decision. The IOC highlighted the need to better align the Games with Olympic Movement goals and noted structural difficulties related to esports governance, given the influence of game publishers rather than traditional sport federations.
In an official statement, the IOC stated that it “will develop a new approach to the Olympic Esports Games, taking the feedback from the “Pause and Reflect” process into account, and pursue a new partnership model.” The Olympic body revealed that it backed out due to feedback from the Olympic Movement stakeholders. However, it did not reveal what its future esports plans are.
Impact on Saudi Vision 2030
The canceled deal represents a setback for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a wide-ranging modernization plan emphasizing sports and entertainment to diversify its economy. The kingdom already hosts the Esports World Cup, offering high prize money and strong crown prince support. Despite this, Saudi Arabia will now chart its own esports course separate from the IOC's Olympic Esports Games project.
IOC’s Future Plans
The IOC stated it will pursue a new partnership model and aims to launch the Olympic Esports Games "as soon as possible" under a framework more fitting to the Olympic movement's long-term ambitions. Potential alternatives include revisiting other host countries like Singapore, which hosted an Olympic Esports Week exhibition in 2023. This reset reflects a strategic shift seven months into IOC President Kirsty Coventry’s leadership.
This development highlights the complex intersection of esports and traditional sporting values within the Olympic framework and highlights ongoing challenges in integrating competitive gaming into global multi-sport events.
Author
Abhimannu Das is a web journalist at Outlook India with a focus on Indian pop culture, gaming, and esports. He has over 10 years of journalistic experience and over 3,500 articles that include industry deep dives, interviews, and SEO content. He has worked on a myriad of games and their ecosystems, including Valorant, Overwatch, and Apex Legends.
Abhimannu Das is a web journalist at Outlook India with a focus on Indian pop culture, gaming, and esports. He has over 10 years of journalistic experience and over 3,500 articles that include industry deep dives, interviews, and SEO content. He has worked on a myriad of games and their ecosystems, including Valorant, Overwatch, and Apex Legends.
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