The 12-year Olympic Esports plan has collapsed, but a new nation-versus-nation esports event by the Esports World Cup Foundation is ready to take its place.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) have agreed to end a joint development concerning the Olympic Esports Games.
Following an IOC statement on October 30, both parties said they will continue to pursue their own esports initiatives independently.
“The IOC, for its part, will develop a new approach to the Olympic Esports Games, taking the feedback from the ‘Pause and Reflect’ process into account, and pursue a new partnership model,” the IOC’s statement read.
“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, with the objective of having the inaugural Games as soon as possible.”
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), which is linked to Saudi Arabia’s esports ecosystem, later confirmed it had also stepped away from the plans after conducting a “constructive review.”
Like the other parties involved, EWCF said it will continue to focus on building on the success of the Esports World Cup and launching the inaugural Esports Nations Cup in November 2026.
“We remain committed to fostering an inclusive and sustainable international esports ecosystem, co-created with key stakeholders around the world,”a EWCF LinkedIn post read.
“EWCF will continue to collaborate with global partners, to expand opportunities for players, clubs, and fans everywhere, while championing the spirit of fair play and innovation that unites traditional sport and esports alike.”.
The initial agreement
The Olympic Esports Games were originally launched as a long-term partnership between the three aforementioned organisations. The deal, announced in 2024, set out a 12-year plan to host the Games in Riyadh, starting in 2025.
Under the agreement, Saudi Arabia held exclusive hosting rights for the event from 2025 through 2036. The inaugural Games were initially scheduled for 2025 but were later postponed to 2027.
EWCF was tasked with helping the IOC establish qualification pathways, enhance competitive integrity and align national esports ecosystems with global standards. A joint committee was formed to oversee the initiative, chaired by IOC member Ser Miang Ng and co-chaired by Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal.
The project was closely tied to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, which aims to diversify the economy and attract global sporting events.
The IOC saw the Olympic Esports Games as an opportunity to bring esports under the Olympic umbrella, engage younger audiences and bring competitive gaming into the broader sporting ecosystem.
Is there already an Olympic Esports Games?
While the Olympic Esports Games partnership has ended, Saudi Arabia and the EWCF are pressing ahead with the Esports Nations Cup. The event is a multi-title national esports competition set to launch in 2026, just one year after the inaugural Olympic Esports Games was originally scheduled.
Described on its website as “the first global, recurring, multi-title national esports competition – a biennial event where the world’s best players compete not only for glory with their clubs, but for the honour of representing their countries,” the ENC mirrors many aspects of traditional Olympic events.
Qualification for the tournament spans seven regions worldwide and combines direct invites, open online qualifiers and solidarity slots.
The Esports Nations Cup has already secured backing from major game publishers, including Electronic Arts, Krafton, Tencent and Ubisoft, an area where the Olympic Esports Games reportedly struggled to gain traction.
In August 2025, Ralf Reichert, CEO of the EWCF, said: “Nation versus nation competition is the ultimate expression of sport. The Esports Nations Cup makes this a reality for esports, giving every fan a flag to rally behind and every player the pride of representing their country.”
