Esports Makes its Position at the Olympic Games

Whether it is appropriate to classify eSports as a sport or not has been the subject of ongoing dispute between its proponents and detractors. Nevertheless, it was also decided to include eSports as a demonstration sport in the 2018 Asian Games, and when the International Olympic Committee demonstrated similar goals at the Olympics, things appeared to be going well for eSports.

Here, we examine the development of eSports as it strives to grow as a worldwide sport by applying to be a part of the Olympics. It may then draw even more sponsors, and that financial pull could aid in the expansion of an industry, allowing for the flourishing of related vocations.

History:

The Internet first became widely used in the new millennium. More opportunities emerged as a result, which led to an explosion in the growth of esports. However, new businesses began to show interest as well. These included Nintendo, Blockbuster Video, and the release of new video games that are still remembered today.

Super Mario Bros., Tetris, Sonic, and Virtual Racing’s original releases were made available to players everywhere. Also starting to catch on were consoles like the SEGA and SNES.

Through improved consoles and the introduction of new computers, competitions were able to expand during this decade. And as a result, esports’ founding games, such as Age of Empires, Doom, Quake, Unreal Tournament, and Unreal Tournament 2, began to surface.

Esports, as a genre, can be said to have begun in the 1990s. Origin esports joined together to lay the groundwork, and as a result, the momentum that esports gained was unthinkable due to the accessibility that everyone began to have.

Fighting games, first-person shooters, and racing games entered the esports sector when gameplay modes transitioned into genres in the 1990s.

Background:

Counter-Strike, Dota, League of Legends, and Valorant are examples of traditional esports games that have been deemed to be too violent to be included in an Olympic-style esports competition. In order to discuss the potential acceptance of esports by the Olympic Movement, an Olympic Summit was convened in October 2017. A subsequent IOC Esports Forum was conducted in July 2018. The IOC would not, however, contemplate including esports in the Olympic Games due to the lack of a single international federation to oversee esports, a necessity for a sport to be recognized as an Olympic sport, as well as the problem of violent video games.

Esports are recognized as a medal event at several sporting competitions, including the Southeast Asian Games and the Asian Games hosted by the Olympic Council of Asia. 

It was initially included in a significant competition at the Asian Indoor Games in 2007 and starting with the 2022 Asian Games scheduled in 2023, it will be a full medal event of the Asian Games.

The first IOC-backed esports competition, known as the Olympic Virtual Series, was scheduled for 2021 when the COVID-19 epidemic caused the 2020 Summer Olympics to be moved to 2021. Baseball, cycling, motorsport, rowing, and sailing were among the sports that were a part of that; four of them would return as a part of the Olympic Esports Series in 2023.

The Olympic Esports Series took the role of the second Olympic Virtual Series, which was scheduled for 2022 but never materialized.

The 2023 Olympic Week:

The IOC stated in November 2022 that the first Olympic Esports Week, which would include the live in-person finals of the 2023 Olympic Esports Series, will take place in Singapore in June 2023. A 10th event in shooting (Fortnite) was added on May 5, 2023, after the initial nine game titles and sports were revealed on March 1 of that year.

The inaugural Olympic Esports Week, which kicked out on June 22 with an opening ceremony, included the first Olympic Esports Series finals, which were physically hosted from June 23 to June 25 in Singapore at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Esports at Asian Games:

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) collaborated with Chinese business behemoth Alibaba to promote eSports as a “demonstration sport” during the 2018 Asian Games, which were hosted in Indonesia, marking the growing sport’s first significant international breakthrough.

At these games, eSports was played by 18 nations, including Indonesia, the host nation.

Vietnam claimed the most success, earning four medals, all of which were bronze, out of a total of 18 medals (gold, silver, and bronze) up for grabs. China came in second place, collecting two gold and one silver medal, and Chinese Taipei/Taiwan came in third place, getting two silver and one bronze.

The platform demonstrated as a huge step forward for the validity of eSports as a professional sport, with the Asian Games being the second largest multi-sport event in the world, only after the Olympics. Additionally, it has been announced that eSports will be a recognized medal sport at the 2022 Games in Hangzhou, China.

Esports in Southeast Asian Games:

After being evaluated at the Asian Games, eSports gained another feather in its crown by being acknowledged as a full medal-awarding sport at the Games sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.

The Games, which took place from December 5 to 10, 2019 featured six well-known video games in three different formats (PC, console, and mobile), including Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Arena of Valor, Dota 2, Starcraft II, Tekken 7, and Hearthstone.

Partnership with Commonwealth Games Federation:

The Commonwealth Games Federation and the freshly founded Global Esports Federation inked a “exploratory partnership” in May 2020. Tencent, a Chinese company, funded the Global Esports Federation, which was launched in December 2019 and is based in China. This represents a significant development for the new organization as it works to establish itself as the leading voice for eSports and the “global governing body” for the eSports ecosystem.

Olympics Aspiration:

The International eSports Federation (IESF), a South Korean-based eSports organization, and the International eGames Committee (IEGC), which is supported by the British government, submitted a request to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2016 asking how eSports might be included in the Olympic Games.

As previously mentioned, the 2018 Asian Games announced eSports as a demonstration sport (it has already been announced that eSports will be a medal event in the 2022 Asian Games), and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games followed the following year as a full-medal awarding sport. This marked eSports’ first significant international competitive recognition.

Recently, the Paris Committee for the 2024 Olympics indicated interest in adding eSports in the competitions once it was granted permission to host.

Conclusion:

The inclusion of eSports in the Olympic Games marks a key turning point in the development of both traditional sports and competitive gaming. Although there have been obstacles and disagreements along the way to establishing esports as a recognized sporting competition within the Olympic framework, its eventual inclusion highlights the obvious influence and universal appeal of virtual sports. It is impossible to overlook how esports can exhibit outstanding skill and strategy, draw a sizable audience, and promote global friendship.

It’s important to understand that, in today’s technologically advanced world, the notion of athleticism is changing, despite worries over the toughness and athletic character of esports in comparison to traditional sports. The skills admired in traditional sports are paralleled by the exceptional reflexes, cognitive prowess, teamwork, and dedication displayed by esports athletes. By creating a deeper understanding and appreciation for the various forms of competition, the Olympic platform offers a chance to cross cultural and generational divides.