The 142nd International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session was held in Paris on Tuesday, during which a proposal was approved for the first edition of the Olympic Esports Games to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2025. The IOC stated on its website, “history was made today.”

Why it matters: The Olympic Esports Games represents a major step in legitimizing and mainstreaming esports within the global sports community. The decision of the IOC acknowledges the increasing popularity and competitive nature of this rapidly evolving field.

Details: To organize the Olympic Esports Games, the IOC has entered into a 12-year partnership with the Saudi Arabian National Olympic Committee (NOC), according to the IOC announcement.

• Following the proposal’s approval, both parties are beginning the process to select the host city and venue for the event and finalizing details regarding the event schedule, disciplines, and qualification processes for the participants.
• At the same time, the IOC will establish a new, separate structure for the Olympic Esports Games, distinct from the Olympic Games’ organizational and financial model.
• “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,” said the IOC President Thomas Bach.
• IOC member Reema Bandar Al-Saud, who serves on the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and as President of the Women’s Committee, stated that Saudi Arabia has over 23.5 million gamers, nearly half of whom are female. She said she views hosting the 2025 Olympic Esports Games as a natural progression in opening Saudi Arabia to the world.

Context: Last September, esports made its debut as an official competition event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The competition included seven esports titles: League of Legends, Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, DOTA 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, Street Fighter V, and FIFA Online 4.

• On July 3, the first edition of the Esports World Cup kicked off in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Running until August 25, the event features 1,500 athletes from 425 clubs competing in 21 esports events for the honor of being crowned the first group of world champions.