What eSports Games Are in the Olympics?
There have been calls to include esports titles in the Olympics since esports became a global phenomenon. The International Olympics Committee (IOC) obliged by hosting a demonstration at the Rio Olympics and the 2018 Asian Games. With the success of that demonstration, the IOC has now announced the esports titles they will include in the Olympic Esports Series that will be held in Singapore in June 2023.
Fascination and Frustration
Once the line-up was announced, the list was met with both fascination and frustration. Players were fascinated because they knew that exports had garnered enough support and were interested to see how the sports would play out.
However, many people in the esports community are frustrated with the list. Those in this camp say it does not include what many consider to be traditional esports games, such as first-person shooters, fighting games or real-time strategy games.
The nine games announced for the Olympic Esports Week are connected to disciplines already overseen by different international and national sports federations. The International Olympic Committee says it selected these games from publishers already working with international federations that adhere to Olympic ideals.
Let’s have a look at the announced games.
Archery
Archery is overseen by the World Archery Foundation, and the ancient art has become very popular in real life and online. The version players will play at the Olympics is Tic Tac Bow, a relatively new game available for everyone to download.
As with the real-world version of the sport, players aim at a target and try to hit the centre (the bullseye) or as close to it as possible for points.
Baseball
Overseen by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the esports baseball version players will play is Power Bros. As in real life, esports baseball is about creating the best team and then batting, pitching and fielding to beat your opponent.
At the Olympics, it will be played on the PlayStation 4 and 5 or the Nintendo Switch. The IOC will let fans follow and even play along at home.
Chess
Yet another ancient game that is being included in the esports Olympics. It will be played on the online platform chess.com, which has become the premier online chess platform.
Chess is played on an 8×8 board and 16 pieces for each player. The aim is to trap the opponent's king or to leave them without moves or in such a bad position that they resign.
It is a game of strategy, reasoning, and decision-making that pushes players to their limits, especially when played in Classical formats, which can take hours.
Cycling
This event will be organised by UCI and Zwift. It will include eight women and eight men from the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships and the Zwift Grand Prix cycling series. The event format will include elimination and point races.
It will also see four mixed-gender teams compete in six back-to-back races, with the winner crowned with an Olympic trophy. If you want to get in on the action, you can watch the event at home or place your bets on which team you think will win. Many, excellent esports betting sites will let you place bets on this and other esports Olympic events.
Dance
This event will be overseen by the World DanceSport Federation, and players will compete in a music-based video game known as Just Dance. Players will use motion controllers to mimic and follow the choreographers of the dancers displayed in front of them. Players win points in occurrence. It is more of a social game than the others on this list.
Motor Sport
Players will compete in Gran Turismo, with the aim being to get to the finish line faster than the competition.
Sailing
Virtual Regatta is the most popular sailing game in the world and is the version included in the Esports Olympics. Players will compete in different sailing events, with the overall winner crowned the Olympics winner.
Taekwondo
Virtual taekwondo is played with a virtual reality headset and motion controllers and uses motion tracking to track player movements as they play against a virtual opponent. It will feature 16 of the best virtual taekwondo players in the world.
Tennis
Players will play Tennis Clash, a multi-player, virtual tennis game. Fans will get a chance to compete against each other before and at the Olympics, where they will play for an Olympic trophy.
It is great to see the esports Olympics after fans have been calling for them for years. The International Olympics Committee chose the events to include thoughtfully, but fans would have loved to see more traditional esports games. All games will be streamed live, and replays will be available afterwards on the Olympics website.
