One of the longest debates since the inception of esports is whether the it is considered an actual sport and if it belongs in traditional sporting events such as the Olympics. In July, the first ever esports forum in discussion over its eligibility was held at the Olympic Museum in Switzerland.
It had 150 representatives attending ranging from game publishers such as Riot Games & Blizzard and tournament organisers like ESL. The National Olympic Commitees (NOCs) were also present in the forum together with official broadcasters & partners.
During the forum, the experts discussed about the potential of esports being included in any future editions of the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee agreed that esports COULD be considered a sporting event, but it must follow the Olympic code of conduct. This means that any inclusion of esports in the future will not involve content encouraging violence or discrimination.
On top of that, the forum also explored the benefits of including esports in the Olympics from a broadcasting point of view. Experts believe that esports will unlock an entirely new audience for the traditional sporting event & allow them to reach a wider scale of viewers.
With the recent Asian Games showcasing esports as a demonstration event & the 2022 Asian Games confirming that it will be a full-fledged medal event, featuring esports in the Olympics is becoming more and more of a reality.
If you’re interested in reading all the information regarding the forum, you can head over to Esports North Asia's website and download the report! In there, you can read about the in-depth research about the esports as an industry and also how esports joining the Olympics will help grow the ecosystem.
For more esports news and update, stay tuned to IGN SEA.
Matthew Chan is a board game enthusiast, food loving writer for IGN SEA with a passion for esports. You can follow him on Twitter @mehphew
