Olympic Esports Games no longer taking place in Saudi Arabia

The inaugural Olympic Esports Games, due to take place in Saudi Arabia in 2027, has been cancelled.

Following an internal review, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC), and the Esports World Cup Foundation “mutually agreed” to end their partnership.

The IOC stated that the parties involved are “committed to pursuing their own esports ambitions on separate paths,” with the IOC looking to “develop a new approach” and “pursue a new partnership model.”

“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 organisation said.

In a separate statement, the Esports World Cup said it “concluded [its] cooperation on this project” following “a constructive review” of the initiative.

“We thank the IOC and SOPC for the open and collaborative dialogue over the past year,” it wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

“Esports continues to inspire millions of fans and athletes globally, and we recognize the shared ambition to elevate digital competition on the world stage.”

Plans to create the Olympic Esports Games were first announced in 2023, with the IOC announcing the first event would be held in Saudi Arabia in 2025.

This was then pushed to 2027 following “ongoing concerns about the format and a lack of details on key aspects of the programme by game publishers,” according to Esports Insider.