IOC: 12-year agreement with Saudi Arabia, host of the first Olympic Esports Games in 2025

The first Olympic Esports Games will take place in Saudi Arabia in 2025, announced the IOC on 12/07/2024. On this occasion, the International Committee partnered with the Saudi NOC through a 12-year partnership (2024-2035) that plans for the "regular" hosting of the Esports Olympics in the Kingdom. "Further editions should follow every two years, with South Korea and the United States already in discussions with the IOC to host them," according to the French sports daily L'Équipe.

"Every long journey begins with a first step, and we have just taken that step," said Thomas Bach, president of the IOC, following the first "Esports Forum" organised by the IOC and GAISF on 21/07/2018. Six years later, after events such as the Olympic Virtual Series in 2021 (competitions of physical virtual sports) and the Esports Week in Singapore in 2023, which led to the creation of the Esports Commission on 05/09/2023 (chaired by David Lappartient), the IOC is more committed than ever to esports by entrusting its flagship event to Saudi Arabia.

"Work will begin on selecting a city and venue for the…