IOC puts esports activities on hold: what's behind this change

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has put the work of its esports commission on hold due to a shift in priorities under the committee’s new president, Kirsty Coventry, who is placing greater emphasis on traditional sports. This was reported by Kyodo News, citing its sources.

During the tenure of former IOC President Thomas Bach, the inclusion of esports in the Olympic program was considered quite likely, but now this process appears to have been put on hold.

An Olympic esports series was held in Singapore in 2023 under Bach, but the Olympic esports games, scheduled for 2027 in Saudi Arabia, were canceled last October, shortly after Coventry took office.

In January, the new IOC president sent letters to commission members proposing a review of the IOC’s stance on esports. Public opinion on whether it should be considered a sport is divided, which may have been the reason for the suspension of esports initiatives.

The IOC is still unsure whether esports can become a full-fledged part of the Olympic Games program in the future. The committee prefers to cautiously integrate digital disciplines without specific deadlines or commitments, which puts the development of this area on hold.

As a reminder, The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced the first global, regular, multi-discipline national esports competition — Esports Nations Cup — which will take place in November of this year.

As CyberScore previously reported, a star-studded lineup of coaches for the Esports Nations Cup has been announced.