Saudi Arabia to Host Inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2025, IOC Announces

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has sanctioned Saudi Arabia to host the first-ever Olympic Esports Games in 2025, marking a pivotal moment for esports on the global stage. This announcement, made during the 142nd IOC Session in Paris, underscores the IOC’s commitment to embracing the digital revolution and integrating esports into the Olympic movement.

The partnership between the IOC and the Saudi Arabian National Olympic Committee (NOC) aims to uphold the Olympic values while celebrating the competitive spirit of esports. Saudi Arabia, renowned for its burgeoning esports community with over 23.5 million gamers, is poised to showcase its commitment to inclusivity, particularly highlighting the active participation of nearly half of its gamers being female.

Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, an IOC Member and advocate for gender equality, emphasized the event’s significance in promoting Saudi Arabia’s openness to the world. She highlighted the kingdom’s readiness to host an event that not only celebrates esports excellence but also champions diversity within the gaming community.

Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to solidify its status as a powerhouse in global esports. Kyiv recently hosted The Kyiv Major, a premier Dota 2 tournament with a prize pool of $3 million. Since the early 2000s, Ukraine has made significant strides in esports, exemplified by organizations like Natus Vincere, the Ukrainian esports team known as (Na’Vi), which gained international acclaim by winning the inaugural Dota 2 International tournament in 2011.

Adding to Ukraine’s esports prowess Na’Vi secured the title of Counter-Strike 2 champions at the Esports World Cup 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Their journey to victory culminated in a thrilling final against Germany’s G2, where NaVi triumphed with a 2:1 score. This victory added to NaVi’s earlier triumph at the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, solidifying their reputation as a dominant force in international esports.