Esports Coming to Paris Olympics?

There have been some rumors that esports will be coming to the Paris Olympics 2024, and it now looks like things are trending in that direction. The decision to include esports would be up to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Executive Board is willing to consider it. 

During the next meeting of the IOC, there will be a formal discussion about including esports in the Olympic games. This would be a shocking move as the Olympic Esports Games would create a significant buzz around this growing industry. 

There is already a potential host in place for these games, and that would allow this event to come together quickly. Even though discussions are moving in the right direction, there is still a chance that things can fall apart rather quickly as well. 

The IOC Esports Commission was first created in September 2023, and that was the first time that this really became an option. This organization has been working with others to ensure that there is integrity in esports, but adding it to the games in Paris would be a significant move. 

The Olympic Esports Week was an initial attempt by the IOC to get involved in Esports, but that was something that was not received well with the fans. It would appear that getting these games to take place in Paris is the ultimate test to see how things will go. 

Fans Might Be Confused

For fans that love to follow some of the biggest esports leagues and events, they are going to be a bit confused if the Olympics Esports Games were included. For one, many of the most popular games would not be eligible to be included as there is a certain set of values that must be taking into consideration. 

This event would also have to be broken down into countries as that is how athletes are separated for other events. That’s not always the case with the top esports organizations as they tend to attract players from all over the world. 

It’s unclear what the format would be for these tournaments as well, and some of the developers of top games are going to want to be included. The IOC works with professional organizations to create the qualifying standards, but that has not yet been discussed. 

It does look like the Olympic Esports Games are coming at some point, but there is plenty that will need to be worked out. The next meeting of the IOC should provide some additional updates, and perhaps a firm commitment. 

RIOT Games Trying Something New

Riot Games would have some say in what goes on at the Olympics Esports Games, but it is also working on making significant improvements to current events. The company recently announced that it plans to offer mixed-gender tournaments soon, and VALORANT will be the game that is used. 

There have been some other games that are starting to have female-only tournaments, and it’s a way to grow the game across genders. While Riot Games is getting involved with that as well, combining genders would be something completely new. 

These events are going to begin during the 2024 VALORANT offseason, and they could extend into next year as well. Riot Games has partnered with the Game Changers Circuit in order to come up with this idea, and it is expected to be a major hit. 

Riot has been a pioneer in trying to get more women involved with esports, but there is still a significant gap between women and men. Organizations will now have some time to recruit the best women players to team up with the men.