IOC, Saudi Arabia cancel 12-year deal for Riyadh to host video gaming Esports Olympics
Kingdom’s capital was due to host first event in 2027, but parties end partnership after 14 months and will now pursue separate projects
The International Olympic Committee and Saudi Arabia have ended their 12-year esports partnership after only a year, parting ways to develop separate projects, the IOC said on Thursday.
Two years before the first Olympic Esports Games were to be held in Riyadh, the IOC said discussions with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee had ended the partnership 14 months after announcing a 12-year deal during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Recently, the two parties and the Esports World Cup Foundation sat down again and reviewed this initiative,” the IOC said in a statement.
“They mutually agreed that they will end their cooperation on the Olympic Esports Games. At the same time, both parties are committed to pursuing their own Esports ambitions on separate paths.”
The IOC has been looking into Esports for several years, forming a dedicated commission to find opportunities to tap into a younger generation involved with gaming.
The first Esports Games was originally slated to be held this year in Riyadh but were postponed in February.