eSports at The Olympics?
Of all the gaming sectors which have emerged in recent years, eSports is perhaps the one that has gained the most traction. Competitive video gaming is in the unique position of appealing to both the global gaming community – which now exceeds 3 billion in terms of membership – as well as conventional sports fans. Furthermore, it’s attracted a wave of significant investment and interest from a number of established entertainment and cultural brands.
Pro gaming has even generated enough mainstream recognition to be included as a demonstration event at several major sports and cultural competitions. During the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, virtual games were showcased in the summer games, while the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the UK hosted the Commonwealth Esports Championship. Now, in 2023, eSports is all set to be an officially-recognised Olympic event.
Changing the Game
eSports, in one form or another, have been around since the late 20th century – albeit only in local or national competitions. However, the dawn of the internet and the rapid development of gaming technologies meant that competitive gaming events could go global, having a marked effect on the gaming industry in the process.
Here in the digital age, it’s now possible to carve out a lucrative career as a professional video gamer, and it’s all thanks to eSports.
Prior to the days of major gaming tournaments like The International and LoL World Championships, competitive gaming opportunities mostly took the form of multiplayer elements in MMORPG games. What’s more, the category of eSports has also expanded in recent years to encompass verticals like online poker, which is now increasingly being recognized as a mind sport (game of skill) alongside disciplines such as backgammon and chess. This classic card game is considered by many to be an eSport as it shares similar themes of competition.
The 2023 eSports Olympic Games
In early March, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made an announcement that should have been some of the most important news for the global gaming industry. A series of digital games had been approved for inclusion into the summer games in Singapore, cementing eSports as a legitimate industry.
The Olympic Esports Series 2023 kicked off with a series of qualifying rounds in March 2023 and is open to both professional and amateur gamers to compete in. Once qualifiers end on May 15th, the relevant players will be invited to compete at the Olympic Esports Week, which will be held at the Suntec Centre Singapore from 22nd to 25th June. The grand final will, of course, be the showpiece of the week and has all the makings of being a landmark moment for both eSports and video gaming.
However, the list of the so-called eSports titles (which includes nine games so far) has left much of the gaming community both bemused and bewildered.
Differing Visions of eSports
To most eSports fans, the sector is defined by well-established titles such as League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike and, more recently, Valorant. Although the exact genres that each game falls into differ from title to title, they all offer high-quality, competitive features and multiplayer and team modes, in addition to being superbly crafted games with stunning graphics and compelling gameplay.
The concept of eSports for the IOC, however, seems to be defined by games that are basically electronic sports simulators. Bizarrely, the IOC has even approved a mobile gaming app for inclusion in the events, despite the controversial reputation of the game and its “predatory” monetisation models.
Sadly, for eSports players, supporters or just casual observers, when the spotlight is shone on competitive gaming this summer, these are the games that will be on the world’s stage:
- Chess.com, approved by International Chess Federation
- Gran Turismo, approved by Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile
- Just Dance, approved by World DanceSport Federation
- Tennis Clash, approved by International Tennis Federation
- Tic Tac Bow, approved by World Archery Federation
- Virtual Regatta, approved by World Sailing
- Virtual Taekwondo, approved by World Taekwondo
- WBSC eBASEBALL: POWER PROS, approved by World Baseball Softball Confederation
- Zwift, approved by Union Cycliste Internationale