Small steps through the years
In some cases, traditional sports leagues, teams, venues, and arenas feature an esports tournament or exhibition match as part of their programming, and this can attract a dedicated esports audience. For example, the NBA 2K League has partnered with the NBA to host esports tournaments during halftime of basketball games, and the League of Legends Championship Series has held events in sports arenas like Madison Square Garden in New York and Oracle Arena in Northern California. This has extended to traditional multi-disciplinary sport competitions.
Esports was first included as a demonstration sport at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, and was later officially added as a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The 2018 Asian Games marked the first time that esports was included in a major multi-sport event recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The esports events at the 2018 Asian Games were well attended, with over 8,000 spectators reportedly watching the esports finals for games like League of Legends and Arena of Valor, both of which are multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games. Additionally, millions of viewers tuned in online to watch the esports competitions, indicating the growing popularity of esports in Asia. At the upcoming 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, which were postponed to 2023 due to concerns over COVID-19, the esports events are scheduled to be held in September/October 2023.
Esports was also first included as a medal event at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 2019, held in the Philippines. The esports events included three MOBA games – Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Dota 2, and Arena of Valor; two strategy games – Starcraft II and Hearthstone; and one fighting game – Tekken 7.
The esports events at the 2019 SEA Games drew a sizable audience, with thousands of spectators reportedly attending the competitions. The events were also streamed online, where they were viewed by millions of people across Southeast Asia. In particular, the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang finals reportedly drew in over 12,000 attendees, with additional fans watching the competition through live streaming platforms. The Dota 2 finals were also reportedly well attended, with around 6,000 people watching in-person.
Esports has not yet been included as an official sport in the Olympic Games roster, but there have been ongoing discussions and interest from both the IOC and the esports community about the potential inclusion of esports competitions.
In 2017, esports was recognized as a sport by the IOC, which was a significant step forward in the discussion about esports in the Olympics. Since then, there have been various discussions and pilot events, including the aforementioned multi-disciplinary IOC-sanctioned events, where esports was included as a demonstration sport.
Key challenges
However, there are several challenges that need to be addressed before esports can be included in the Olympic Games. Some of the key challenges include:
- Standardization: Esports encompasses a wide variety of games, each with its own unique rules, gameplay mechanics, refereeing and equipment requirements. Standardizing these elements across different games would be necessary for inclusion in the Olympics.
- Governance: Esports lacks a central governing body that can ensure fair play, prevent cheating, and address other issues that may arise. Establishing a regulatory body that can address these concerns would be critical for the inclusion of esports in the Olympics.
- Cultural differences: Esports has a different cultural context and audience than traditional sports. Some argue that it is not in line with the Olympic values of physical fitness and fair play. Bridging these cultural differences would be necessary for esports to be accepted as a legitimate Olympic sport.
- Infrastructure: The infrastructure required for esports is different from that required for traditional sports. For example, esports tournaments require high-speed internet connections and powerful computers and utilise commercial venues, while traditional sports require purpose-built stadiums and other physical infrastructure.
- Doping: The use of performance-enhancing drugs is a concern in esports, just as it is in traditional sports. Developing measures to prevent doping in esports would be necessary for its inclusion in the Olympics.
Addressing these challenges will require cooperation and coordination between the esports community, traditional sports organizations, and the IOC.
Hope arises
The Olympics Esports Week 2023, which was announced in 2021, is a step toward the potential inclusion of esports in the Olympic Games. The event aims to showcase esports and bring together the esports community with the Olympic community. The event is also an opportunity to address some of the challenges that need to be overcome for the inclusion of esports in the Olympics, such as standardization and governance. The event will feature a limited number of games that have been selected based on their suitability for competitive play and their potential for future inclusion in the Olympics. Nine initial games have been announced for the event, which will take place in June in Singapore:
- Archery (World Archery Federation) featuring Tic Tac Bow
- Baseball (World Baseball Softball Confederation) featuring WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS
- Chess (International Chess Federation) featuring Chess.com
- Cycling (UCI) featuring Zwift
- Dance (World DanceSport Federation) featuring JustDance
- Motor sport (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) featuring Gran Turismo
- Sailing (World Sailing) featuring Virtual Regatta
- Taekwondo (World Taekwondo) featuring Virtual Taekwondo
- Tennis (International Tennis Federation) featuring Tennis Clash
While the Olympics Esports Week is a positive development, it is important to note that it is not a guarantee that esports will ever be included in the Olympic Games. The event is more of a test to gauge interest and to see how esports can fit within the Olympic framework. The Olympics Esports Week is a step in the right direction, as it provides an opportunity for the Olympic and esports communities to come together and explore the potential of esports in the Olympic Games. Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether esports will be included in the Olympics, but there is certainly growing interest and momentum toward its inclusion. The race to include esports in the Olympic Games will not be a sprint but rather a marathon.
Client Alert 2023-122
