There is no doubt that esports or electronic sports have enjoyed exponential growth and relevance over the years. But in 2024, they have finally managed to reach an important milestone by being recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The announcement was made via a livestreamed presentation prior to the start of the 2024 Olympics. This means that the IOC has officially announced the creation of the esports Olympic Games.
The 142nd IOC session voted today on whether or not e-sports should be part of the Olympic Games. With no votes against and no abstentions, the full committee voted in favour of video games being part of the Olympic Games.
The news comes in the midst of the Esports World Cup 2024 being held in Saudi Arabia and after that Venezuelan Ministry of Sports recognizes esports as a national sport.
IOC sets out pillars for Esports Olympics
While the addition of esports to the Olympics is a historic feat, there are still some exceptions when it comes to the various games. Firstly, not all of the big esports games will be included. In fact, there won’t be any first-person shooters at all.
Games like Valorant, Counter-Strike, and Call of Duty will be excluded. This has also led people to wonder whether or not third-person shooters, like Fortnite, will be included.
Last year, the Olympics hosted an esports tournament known as Olympic Esports Week that featured games such as:
- League of Legends
- Rocket League
- Street Fighter
- Tekken
- iRacing
- NBA2K
- FIFA
Several mobile games will also be included, but none have been specified. However, as the years go by, more and more games could be added.
Read also Ministry of Sport recognizes esports and phygital as national sports
#Esports #officially #Olympic #sport
2024-07-25 21:52:52
