Saudi Arabia removed as host of inaugural Olympic Esports Games
Saudi Arabia will no longer host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games, originally scheduled for 2027, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Thursday.
According to an IOC statement, the organization and the Saudi National Olympic Committee “mutually agreed that they will end their cooperation on the Olympic Esports Games,” News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The event was initially slated to take place in Riyadh this year but was postponed in February. Saudi Arabia had been guaranteed hosting rights for 12 years starting from 2025, following an agreement announced by the IOC in July last year.
The initiative had been championed by then-IOC President Thomas Bach, who has since been succeeded by Kirsty Coventry.
The IOC noted that both parties, along with the Esports World Cup Foundation, reviewed the project and agreed to pursue their own esports ambitions independently.
“This approach will be a chance to better fit the Olympic Esports Games to the long-term ambitions of the Olympic movement and to spread the opportunities presented by the Olympic Esports Games more widely,” the IOC said.
The Esports Games will now have to restart from scratch, with no confirmed host or timeline. The IOC continues to face challenges in integrating esports into the Olympic framework, including negotiations with game publishers, the formation of national teams, and the implementation of anti-doping standards.
The IOC’s “non-violence” criteria also limits the inclusion of many popular gaming titles.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia continues to host its own Esports World Cup, which debuted in 2024 and includes several globally popular games. Critics have accused the kingdom of using major sports events to divert attention from its human rights record — a claim Saudi officials deny, asserting that the country’s policies are focused on protecting national security and promoting development.
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