Will Esports Be In The Olympics?

Esports has been on the rise in recent years with more organizations and players getting involved. Could we see esports in the Olympics one day?

Introduction

The debate surrounding the inclusion of esports in the Olympics is one that has been ongoing for several years now. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been hesitant to include esports as an official medal event, citing concerns over the multiplayer nature of most games, lack of standardization across different titles, and the fact that many games included violent content. However, with the growing popularity of esports worldwide, the IOC has softened its stance in recent years and is now open to the possibility of including esports as a demonstration event in future Olympic Games.

The 2022 Asian Games will be the first major multi-sport event to include esports as an official medal event, with six games set to be contested. This is a significant step forward for the inclusion of esports in the Olympics, and it is hoped that the success of the Asian Games will lead to further discussions between the IOC and major esport stakeholders on the possibility of including esports in future Olympic Games.

While it remains to be seen whether or not esports will ultimately be included in the Olympics, there is no doubt that the popularity of competitive gaming continues to grow worldwide, and it seems only a matter of time before we see esport athletes competing on the biggest stage imaginable.

What are esports?

Esports are a form of competition that is facilitated by electronic systems, particularly video games; the input of players and teams as well as the output of the esports system is mediated by human-computer interfaces. Esports often take the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. The most common video game genres associated with esports are real-time strategy, fighting, first-person shooter (FPS), and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). Tournaments such as The International, the League of Legends World Championship, the Evolution Championship Series and the Intel Extreme Masters provide live broadcasts of esports competitions through streaming platforms such as Twitch.tv; in 2019, Twitch.tv alone had an average of 953 thousand concurrent viewers for eSports content. Furthermore, esport competitions have become a viable source of income for players, with many organizations signing professional players to contracts similar to those traditional sports organizations use.

The games

One of the most common questions non-esports fans ask is whether these digital games will be included in the Olympics. The short answer is that it’s complicated. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which oversees the Olympics, has not yet made a decision on whether to include esports in the games.

The IOC has said that it is “interested in gaming” and exploring the idea of esports as a potential medal event, but no decision has been made yet. Part of the reason for this is that the IOC is still trying to figure out exactly what esports are and how they fit into the Olympic model.

One of the biggest issues facing the IOC is that not all esports involve physical activity. Some, like League of Legends, are entirely digital and played sitting down at a computer. Others, like Rocket League, are a mix of digital and physical play. And still others, like Overwatch, are entirely physical.

The IOC has also expressed concern over the lack of standardized rules across different esports games. This is in contrast to traditional sports, where there are well-established governing bodies and rulesets that govern competition.

Finally, another issue facing the IOC is the fact that many esports tournaments are sponsored by companies that produce violent video games, such as Call of Duty or Halo. The IOC does not allow sponsorships from companies whose products promote violence or illegal activity.

All of these factors make it difficult for the IOC to decide whether to include esports in the Olympics. However, there are several reasons why they may eventually decide to do so.

For one thing, esports are extremely popular with young people, who are an important demographic for the Olympics. Including them could help attract more young viewers and participants to the games.

In addition, as technology improves and more countries begin to invest in infrastructure for esports, it is likely that more standardized rules and governing bodies will emerge. This could make it easier for the IOC to include esports in future Olympic games

The players

The games that would be played in the Olympics would most likely be decided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). They would also be the ones to oversee and manage the event. The IOC is made up of representatives from all over the world, and they work together to ensure the Olympics are fair and represent the best athletes from each continent.

The most popular games right now are League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Overwatch. These games have large player bases and are interesting to watch. They also have rules and systems that could be followed by the IOC.

The only obstacle in the way of esports being in the Olympics is whether or not they will be able to get backing from traditional sports organizations. These organizations might not see esports as a real sport, and might not want to support it.

The prize money

The prize money is a big part of what attracts big names to the world of esports. For example, The International, an annual Dota 2 tournament hosted by Valve, has given away over $200 million in prize money since its inception in 2011. That number is only going to grow as esports continues to explode in popularity. Even smaller tournaments can attract huge sums of money. For example, a recent Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament called StarLadder Major Berlin had a $1 million prize pool.

The fans

The fans are the lifeblood of any sport, and esports is no different. The millions of people who tune in to watch competitive gaming (or play the games themselves) are the reason that esports has grown so rapidly in recent years.

While there is no denyings the passion of esports fans, there is also no denying that the vast majority of them are young people. The median age of an esports viewer is just 26, which is significantly younger than the median age of a traditional sports fan (41).

This is one of the key reason why some people are skeptical about whether or not esports can be considered a “legitimate” sport. They argue that because the fan base is so young, it is not yet clear if esports will be able to maintain its popularity over the long term.

There is no doubt that the Olympics would be a major coup for esports. It would not only validate the industry in the eyes of skeptics, but it would also expose esports to a whole new audience. The question is, do the Olympics need esports more than esports needs the Olympics?

The Olympics

The Olympics are a major international multi-sport event. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) selects the host city for each edition of the Games. The Summer and Winter Games are each held every four years, alternating between the two seasons every two years. They are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter editions taking place in alternating even-numbered years.

The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Since then, the Games have been held more than fifty times in cities all over the world. London has hosted the Summer Olympics three times (in 1908, 1948, and 2012), making it the most frequent host city of the modern era. Tokyo will be hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics, while Beijing will become the first city to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics when it hosts the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The IOC has been considering adding Esports to the lineup of sports at future Olympic Games. In July 2017, IOC President Thomas Bach said that “Competitive ‘esports’ could be considered as a sporting activity, and promoted within that framework.” The IOC is still preparing its stance on Esports, but it is clear that they are open to the idea of including it as an official sport in future editions of the Olympic Games.

What do you think? Should Esports be included in future Olympic Games?

Conclusion

The answer to whether or not esports will be in the Olympics is still very much up in the air. The International Olympic Committee has yet to make a definitive decision on the matter, and it doesn’t appear as though they will do so anytime soon. That said, there is a growing movement within the esports community to have the games included in future Olympic Games. Only time will tell if this movement will be successful.