During the opening of the 141st International Olympic Committee session in Mumbai, the IOC president Thomas Bach revealed plans to create the Olympic Esports Games. One prominent figure at the event was the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
“Your presence here today, dear Prime Minister, is a testimony to [the] growing importance of Olympic sports in your wonderful country,” Bach said.
The 141st session is held in Mumbai India. It began on Sunday, October 15, and will run until Tuesday, October 17. Also present was the IOC Member in India, Mrs Nita Ambani. Bach praised her for the way she is “promoting sport and athletes in India”.
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Prior to making the big announcement, the International Olympic Committee president noted that there are 3 billion people playing esports and gaming around the globe. Out of this number, he noted that 500 million are specifically interested in esports including sports simulations and virtual sports.
“What is even more relevant to us [is that] a majority of them are under the age of 34,” Bach said. “I have asked our new IOC Esports Commission to study the creation of Olympic Esports Games.”
The International Olympic Committee has been engaging with esports since 2018
The first time that the International Olympic Committee identified with the esports community was in 2018 with the creation of the Esports Forum in Lausanne. Subsequently, the Olympic body established an Esports Liaison Group to engage with all esports stakeholders.
“We chose an approach that would allow us to be active in the esports space while staying true to our values that have guided us for over a century,” Bach said. “With respect to esports, our values are and remain the red line that we will not cross.”
Apparently, one of the red lines that the International Olympic Committee will not cross is accommodating the gore and blood violence that feature in video games.
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“Our crystal-clear position is gaining more and more respect also in the esports community. One of the leading publishers even adapted their popular game to conform fully with our Olympic values—so that players shoot at targets, not at people.”
IOC president Thomas Bach
In 2021, the International Olympic Committee created the Olympic Virtual Series which served as the organization’s pilot venture in esports. No fewer than a quarter of a million players participated in the event. In June this year, the organization held the first in-person Olympic Esports week in Singapore. According to The Straits Times, about 20,000 people attended the event.
“In Singapore, we saw proof that our holistic approach is working,” Bach said. “We successfully brought together the Olympic and esports communities. This was a promising start. But, it is just that: a start. It is like any sport: after even a promising start, the real race still lies ahead.”
Although esports featured in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, it has been dropped from the 2026 edition. The reason for this sudden change was not disclosed.
Bach shared his view on AI
One of the biggest worries in the gaming industry today is the ethical use of artificial intelligence. SAG-AFTRA called the use of AI an existential threat to everyone in the entertainment industry. Some of the massive job cuts in the gaming industry are blamed on poor sales and studios transitioning to the use of AI.
“Our continued success depends on how we embrace the ever-accelerating development of digital technology and in particular AI,” Bach said. “This makes our Olympic Agenda 2020, ‘change or be changed’, even more urgent. We have to devise a holistic analysis of the opportunities and risks of AI and then take action immediately.”
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According to the International Olympic Committee president, the organization must adapt to remain appealing to the younger generation that “are living digital lives right now”. The IOC has already created an AI working group consisting of experts that will guide the organization’s efforts.
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