It is a great day to be an esports fan. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has officially announced the creation of the Olympic Esports Games. Yes, this means video games will now be a part of the Olympics.
The news came earlier today (July 23, 2024) while being presented live by the IOC.
Esports have Officially Joined the Olympics
As the world of esports and gaming continues to grow, fans should expect to see massive feats, like today’s, in the future. With the IOC officially recognizing esports as an Olympic sport, the future of gaming looks to only be going upwards.
The 142 IOC Session voted today on whether or not esports should come to the Olympics. With zero voters voting no and zero abstentions, the entire committee voted yes for video games to now be a part of the Olympic games.
The news arrives amidst the Esports World Cup 2024 being held in Saudi Arabia. While many are excited about this historic moment, it is important to remember that not just any game will be recognized in the Olympics.
IOC Sets Rules for Esports in the Olympics, Excluding First-person Shooters
While esports joining the Olympic Games is a historic feat, there are still a few exceptions regarding different games. First off, not just every big esports game will be included. In fact, there will be zero first-person shooter games.
Games such as Valorant, Counter-Strike and Call of Duty will be excluded. This also has led people to wonder whether or not third-person shooters, such as Fortnite, will be included.
Last year, the Olympics hosted an esports tournament that featured Fortnite Creative, leading many to wonder what the Battle Royale’s role will be moving forward (if it has one).
Here is a list of games that will be involved in the Olympic Esports Games:
- League of Legends
- Rocket League
- Street Fighter
- Tekken
- iRacing
- NBA2K
- FIFA
There will also be various mobile games included, but none specified. As the years go by, though, more and more games could be added.
For more Insider Gaming, read about how former Rockstar dev thinks GTA 6 might disappoint people.
In Saudi Arabia yeah no thank you! This is why I don’t buy games from companies they’re invested in or support content creators who play said games yet claimed to be anti-right wing like all the idiots at EVO.