The International Olympic Committee will hold its first-ever Olympic E-Sports Games in Saudi Arabia in 2025. The e-sports event will be a regular one, unlike previous trials.
According to the International Olympic Committee, the e-sports event will be held in Saudi Arabia because the country has "a lot of expertise in e-sports". The organisation promises that "Olympic values" will continue to be respected, "particularly in relation to the games on the programme, promoting gender equality and engaging with young audiences".
It is not yet clear when the event will take place or which games will be played. However, French newspaper L'Équipe reports that the IOC is in talks with the publishers of League of Legends, Rocket League and Street Fighter, among others. As well as these popular e-sports games, there will be two other categories of games: virtual sports (such as cycling on an exercise bike) and sports simulations (such as EA Sports FC).
