Olympic Esports Series: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Esports competition created by the International Olympic Committee}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2023}}

{{Olympic Games sidebar}}

The events at the Olympic Esports Series have a connection with traditional [[Olympic sports]], as the video game titles selected are chosen by [[sports governing body|international federations]]. There is a mix of both physical sport taking place in a virtual world, such as in [[Zwift]], as well as sports-based video games such as [[Gran Turismo (series)|''Gran Turismo'']]. The lack of traditional esports titles at the Olympic Esports Series, and the inclusion of lesser-known games representing traditional Olympic sports, has been the subject of criticism.

 

 

 

==Background==

Traditional esports titles such as ''[[Counter-Strike]]'', ''[[Dota]]'', ''[[League of Legends]]'', and ''[[Valorant]]'' have been considered to be "too violent" for inclusion in an Olympic-style esports competition.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/8/30/16228134/olympics-esports-violent-video-games |title=If esports come to the Olympics, don't expect to see 'violent' titles |first=Owen |last=Good |date=30 August 2017 |access-date=16 July 2023 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref> An Olympic Summit was held in October 2017 to consider the possible adoption of esports by the Olympic Movement,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/e-sports-gets-closer-to-being-part-of-the-olympics-games-2017-10 |title=E-sports just got closer to being part of the Olympics |first=Karolos |last=Grohmann |date=28 October 2017 |access-date=5 November 2017 |agency=[[Reuters]]|publisher=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref> with a further IOC Esports Forum held in July 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://olympics.com/ioc/news/olympic-movement-esports-and-gaming-communities-meet-at-the-esports-forum|title=Olympic Movement, esports and gaming communities meet at the Esports Forum|publisher=International Olympic Committee|date=21 July 2018|access-date=16 July 2023}}</ref> However, the lack of a single international federation to govern esports, a requirement for a sport to be recognised as an [[Olympic sports|Olympic sport]], along with the issue of violence in games, meant the IOC would not consider adding esports to the [[Olympic Games]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2108501/violent-video-games-have-no-place-olympics-e-sports-are-still|title=Violent video games have 'no place at the Olympics', but e-sports are still in the running|last=Leng|first=Sidney|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=28 August 2017|access-date=16 July 2023}}</ref>

 

 

 

 

===Events and trophy winners of the 2021 Olympic Virtual Series===

|{{flagIOCmedalist|Luiz Carlos Bonetti|BRA}}

|}

 

==2023 Olympic Esports Week==

| size = 200px

| caption =

| motto = Play Beyond Possible

| organiser = [[International Olympic Committee]], [[Singapore National Olympic Council]]

|{{flagIOCmedalist|Aurélie Martin|FRA}}

|-

|{{flagIOCmedalist|Lucas Malissa|AUS}}

|{{flagIOCmedalist|Alexander Feyzjou|USA}}

 

==Future==

 

Despite criticism over excluding traditional esports titles deemed "too violent", the IOC also intends to keep [[first-person shooter]] games out of the Olympic Esports Series in the future, according to Pereira. Despite ''[[Fortnite]]'' having been included in the 2023 event in a specially modified format with targets, Pereira added the default format of ''Fortnite'' involving shooting other characters would not be considered.<ref name="jpost">{{cite news|url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/sports/2023/06/30/counter-strike-call-of-duty-will-never-enter-olympic-esports-ioc-says.html|title='Counter Strike', 'Call of Duty' will never enter Olympic Esports, IOC says|last=Ghifari|first=Deni|newspaper=[[The Jakarta Post]]|date=1 July 2023|access-date=16 July 2023}}</ref>

However, the inclusion of esports as a sport at the main [[Olympic Games]] is not likely in the immediate future,<ref name="DMITG"/> despite it having medal status at the [[Asian Games]] and [[Southeast Asian Games]], as well as various esports World Championships being held for traditional sports, such as the [[Esailing World Championship]], with the IOC's Pereira saying "they're two different worlds".<ref name="Reuters CNN"/>

 

 

==Notes==

 

[[Category:Esports at multi-sport events| ]]

[[Category:International Olympic Committee competitions]]

[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2023]]