The Olympic Esports Games will make gaming as important as the Summer and Winter Olympics, says the boss of a top esports team.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has partnered with Saudi Arabia for 12 years to hold this new event.
Saudi Arabia recently hosted the Esports World Cup, but some people boycotted it due to concerns about human rights.
Alban Dechelotte, CEO of G2 Esports, told BBC Newsbeat that this esports version of the Olympics aims to have equal male and female participation.
He thinks this is a huge chance to reach new audiences, especially younger ones. Alban, who was asked to advise the IOC, believes that competitive gaming has been growing for 20 years and is here to stay, with millions of people watching major finals.
He explained that the 2022 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games included esports events, which helped the Olympic Committee understand their potential.
However, the Commonwealth Games decided not to include esports in the 2026 games in Australia but hinted at a separate event instead.
Alban believes this decision is good because it prevents overcrowding at the games and gives more focus to gaming and esports. Games like Rocket League, League of Legends, EA FC, and Street Fighter might be included, but first-person shooters like Call of Duty might not be accepted immediately.
One exciting aspect for Alban is players competing under their national flags, which could lead to interesting team matchups.
He mentioned the example of famous League of Legends player Faker teaming up with another top player for South Korea in the 2022 Asia Games.
The event will aim for equal representation of male and female players, addressing a current issue in esports where women are underrepresented.
Alban acknowledges that the esports industry has not given enough opportunities to female players, but he promises that the Olympic Esports Games will aim for full gender parity from the start.
This could be a major change for both the Olympics and the esports world.
BBC reports that despite concerns about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, officials have assured that the competition will be open to everyone, regardless of gender or sexuality .
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm52d2n5er5o