For years, there has been an ongoing debate about whether esports should be considered a viable category at international events like the Olympics.
We have already seen esports being included in competitions like the Commonwealth Games 2022 and Southeast Asian Games 2021. On March 1, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced details of the first-ever Olympic Esports Series which will be held this year.
The Olympic Esports Series 2023 will be a “global virtual and simulated sports competition” where esports athletes from multiple countries will be competing across various gaming titles. This event has been created by the IOC in collaboration with International Federations (IFs) of various countries and video game publishers.
According to the IOC announcement, both professional and amateur players from around the world can participate in the qualification rounds held across the different featured games.
The Olympic Esports Series is the evolved format of IOC’s Olympic Virtual Series 2021 that was held before the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Over 250,000 athletes participated from across 100 countries in various featured games.
Which games will be in Olympic Esports Series 2023?
There are 10 confirmed sports that will be featured with their respective games in this esports series currently.
- Archery: Game – Tic Tac Bow; governed by World Archery Federation
- Baseball: Game – WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS; governed by World Baseball Softball Confederation
- Chess: Game – Chess.com; governed by International Chess Federation
- Cycling: Game – Zwift; governed by Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)
- Dance: Game – JustDance; governed by World DanceSport Federation
- Motor sport: Game – Gran Turismo; governed by Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile
- Sailing: Game – Virtual Regatta; governed by World Sailing
- Sport shooting: Game – Fortnite; governed by International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)
- Taekwondo: Game – Virtual Taekwondo; governed by World Taekwondo
- Tennis: Game – Tennis Clash; governed by International Tennis Federation
The Olympics esports initiative drew criticism from the wider community for skipping over more recognized games in favor of obscure titles with limited traditional esports exposure, but in May 2023 the IOC announced the inclusion of Fortnite, in collaboration with the International Shooting Sport Federation.
We might still yet see the addition of more games featuring different Olympic sports ahead of the official schedule’s release.
When and where will the Olympic Esports Finals 2023 be held?
As esports participants advance through the Olympic Esports Series 2023, they will get a chance to perform in front of a live crowd at the finals. The Olympic Esports Finals 2023 will be held at the Suntec Centre in Singapore.
The finals will be a three-day event, taking place from June 22 to 25. This weekend will be full of action and also serve as a highlight of the Olympic Esports Week 2023.
The full schedule for the Olympics Esports Week is still yet to be finalized but will be live on the official Olympics Esports website, including an exact schedule and ticket sales.
The Olympic Esports Series 2023 marks the beginning of virtual sports being considered in the Olympic Games. It’s a step by the IOC to collaborate with the gaming and esports communities and create new opportunities for players and fans.
