The Olympics may be going digital in 2024, as host city Paris is open to including esports for the first time. This information comes from an interview Tony Estanguet, co-president of the Paris Olympic bid committee, gave with The Associated Press.
“We have to look at it because we can’t say, ’It’s not us. It’s not about Olympics,’” Estanguet told the AP. “The youth, yes they are interested in esports and this kind of thing. Let’s look at it. Let’s meet them. Let’s try if we can find some bridges.”
While esports haven’t been featured at the Olympics before, it has been featured in the past at the Asian Games. Esports will also become a full event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
At every Olympics, the host city is allowed to choose a new sport for athletes to compete in. The discussions for picking a new sport will begin in 2019, with final decisions made by the International Olympic Committee after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo comes to a close.
“There is some time to look at it, to interact, to engage,” Estanguet said. “We will spend some time after (the IOC meeting in September) Lima to engage with new people and stakeholders. The IOC will have the last ... say, if they want esports on the program. Let’s discuss among ourselves.”
While many Olympics traditionalists may scoff at the idea of video games becoming an Olympic sport, Estanguet, an Olympic champion himself, is open to the idea.
“I don’t want to say ‘no’ from the beginning,” said Estanguet. “I think it’s interesting to interact with the IOC, with them, the esports family, to better understand what the process is and why it is such a success.”
What’s interesting is the Olympic Committee hasn’t mentioned what game (or games) will actually be played, and who will play them. “Esports” is a broad term covering many different video games. While the most popular may be Dota 2, other games such as League of Legends or Counter-Strike: GO could also be considered.
It’s also unclear who would actually participate in the tournament. Pro esports players don’t necessarily have national allegiances. There are many teams with an international roster. For example, the only North American-based pro Dota 2 team has players from America, Canada and Sweden.
Competing in the Olympics would also leave aside the biggest allure to competing in esports: the prize money. There could also be issues with sponsorships, seeing as whole teams are typically sponsored, instead of individual competitors.
It will be interesting to see what the IOC ultimately decides. If approved, it will also be interesting to see the reception for esports from traditional athletes and Olympics viewers.
So what do you think? Do you want to see esports in the 2024 Paris Olympics? Do you want the Olympics to remain a physical competition? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
