What hinders eSports from becoming an Olympic discipline

Industry experts claim that eSport will soon become one of the Olympic Games disciplines. Before the Summer Games in Japan, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced the very first Olympic Virtual Series. The eSports tournament, which was held in the period from May 13 to June 23, 2021, became a kind of test of sports simulators at the Olympics. During the virtual series, athletes competed in several disciplines: baseball, cycling, rowing, sailing and auto racing, that have been represented by the following video games:

• eBaseball Powerful Pro Baseball 2020;
• Zwift;
• World Rowing;
• Virtual Regatta;
• and Gran Turismo respectively!

The idea of such games under the auspices of the Olympics was supported not only by eSports operators, but also the International Football Federation FIFA, International Basketball Federation FIBA, International Tennis Federation ITF and World Taekwondo Organization WT. In addition, the IOC recognized the Intel World Open, an international virtual competition in the video games Street Fighter V and Rocket League. Data about the event was posted on the Olympic Committee’s website, and the prize for winning the Intel World Open was $500,000.

It is harder for eSports to get the title of “sport,” although its recognition in public culture and acquisition of the top companies’, like PM Tech, support continue to grow. ESports athletes are officially classified as athletes in the United States, and the Russian Ministry of Sports officially recognizes eSports as a sport discipline. Norwegian schools now offer eSports lessons as part of the school sports curriculum. International competitions pay participants millions in prize money, and the industry has even begun to develop anti-doping rules as a requirement of the International Olympic Committee.

The issues of the inclusion

The debate on whether or not to include video game champions in the medal table is just one part of the strategies being implemented to win back the younger generation: in Paris 2024 breakdancing will make its debut in the list of Olympic disciplines, and as early as this summer we have seen surfers and skateboarders compete for gold.

ESports, on the other hand, will be an integral part of the Asian Games in Hangzhou 2022. Not even the Olympics can afford to ignore them, considering the amount of spectators and money they can move. If eSports can rejuvenate the Olympics and boost their ratings, the question of the Olympics’ usefulness for the virtual competition industry remains open.

Today, the prize pools of major eSports contests are worth tens of millions of dollars, and games by top teams in CS:GO and Dota 2 have surpassed many Olympic sports in terms of views. According to Newzoo’s eSports market report, in 2021, the industry will generate more than $1 billion in revenue worldwide. In parallel with betting on classic sports, an entirely new trend is developing which is betting on eSports. For example, recently a Canadian betting company Rivalry, which specializes in eSports, announced plans to sell their shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The value of Rivalry is estimated at about $150 million.

The Olympics must keep up with the times, and the IOC representatives should figure out how eSports can be represented at the Olympics. Among the key problems of introducing eSports to the Olympics, experts highlight the need for constant discussion and revision of disciplines, as the popularity of video games is cyclical.

The IOC also refuses to consider video games with elements of violence, which can cut off the most popular disciplines of modern eSport. Well, lastly, is the acceptance of eSports by spectators who do not consider video games as one of the sporting events. Whether or not eSport is a competition for athletes is debatable. There are many technical nuances, as well as the variety of the games on which to hold the tournaments. And this is another obstacle among many.