In the past decades, e-sports has gone from a hobby of enthusiasts to a global industry that gathers billions of players, millions of spectators and hundreds of millions of dollars in prize funds. Now e-sport is entering a new era - becoming part of the Olympic family. Between 2025 and 2035, Saudi Arabia will host the first Olympic eSports Games in cooperation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Cup Foundation and the Saudi Esports Federation. These games will be held every two years, with six cycles until 2035.
The first Olympic eSports Games in Saudi Arabia mark a turning point in the history of eSports. The Games will bring together the best players, teams and organizations from around the world, while connecting eSports and traditional sports in a unique way. With the support of the IOC, the World Cup Foundation and the Saudi Esports Federation, this event represents a key moment in the development of eSports as a global discipline.
Olympic e-sports games will be divided into three categories: e-sports titles in cooperation with publishers, sports simulations in cooperation with sports federations such as FIFA, FIBA and FIA, and sports simulations such as cycling, sailing and taekwondo.
Category 1: E-sports titles in cooperation with publishers
This category includes the most popular e-sports games developed by large companies, known as "publishers". The games in this section are Dota 2, League of Legends, Rocket League, Valorant and Fortnite. According to current speculation, publishers will select Tier 1 teams to compete in the Olympic eSports Games, instead of national teams.
Dota 2
Dota 2 is a symbol of the e-sports industry and represents the best in the combination of strategy, teamwork and competitive spirit. Its presence at the Olympics provides an opportunity to introduce eSports to a global audience through one of the most prestigious titles in the industry. Tournaments attract millions of live viewers, while online streams reach over 100 million views on platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
Number of players: About eight million active players per month.
The most famous tournaments:
The International (TI) with a record prize pool of $40 million.
Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) with prizes of several million dollars a year.
League of Legends (LoL)
LoL is the most watched e-sport in the world, and its inclusion in the Olympic Games brings high viewership and an opportunity to engage young generations around the planet.
Number of players: Over 180 million active players per month.
The most famous tournaments:
League of Legends World Championship (Worlds) with a fund of two million dollars.
Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) with a fund of one million dollars.
The 2022 Worlds had more than five million simultaneous viewers during the finals.
Rocket League
The combination of sports concept (soccer) and futuristic design makes Rocket League the perfect bridge between traditional sports and e-sports, especially for younger viewers. The RLCS Finals attract hundreds of thousands of live viewers and millions of views online.
Number of players: More than 6 million active players per month.
The most famous tournaments:
Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) with a prize fund of one million dollars.
Valorant
Valorant brings a modern and strategic dimension to eSports, which can attract a global audience and showcase the competitive nature of eSports titles. Valorant tournaments reach more than two million concurrent viewers during the main events.
Number of players: More than 20 million active users per month.
The most famous tournaments:
Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) with a fund starting at one million dollars.
Fortnite
Fortnite has become a cultural phenomenon, and its inclusion provides an opportunity to attract the younger generation and present eSports as a fun and competitive sector. The World Cup finals attracted more than two and a half million simultaneous viewers.
Number of players: Over 400 million registered users.
The most famous tournaments:
Fortnite World Cup with a prize pool of 30 million dollars.
Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) with seasonal prizes of several million dollars.
Category 2: Sports simulations in cooperation with international federations
These titles are becoming a key component of the eSports Olympic Games as they enable a realistic display of real sports in digital form. Collaborations with sports associations such as FIFA, FIBA and FIA lead to the development of specific video games that faithfully imitate professional sports, while retaining the rules and characteristics of those disciplines.
eFootball
The football simulation e-Football allows national teams to compete in e-sports, creating a parallel with real football tournaments and attracting traditional sports audiences. The UEFA eEURO tournament finals attracted millions of viewers live and online.
Number of players: Over 100 million downloads.
The most famous tournaments:
eFootball Championship Pro is available with FIFA.
UEFA eEURO competitions
NBA 2K
NBA 2K represents the global basketball culture and provides an opportunity for eSports to bridge the gap between digital and traditional sports. NBA 2K League attracts millions of views on Twitch and YouTube.
Number of players: Over 50 million downloads
The most famous tournaments:
NBA 2K League with a pool of several hundred thousand dollars.
FIBA Esports Open in cooperation with FIBA.
Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo brings a highly realistic car racing simulation and provides a great opportunity to connect digital audiences with motorsport culture. The FIA Gran Turismo Championships events attract hundreds of thousands of viewers live and online.
Number of players: More than 80 million downloads.
The most famous tournaments:
FIA Gran Turismo Championships in cooperation with the FIA.
Digital chess
Digital Chess brings deep strategy and global appeal, allowing participants of all age groups to participate in the Olympic Games. Online broadcasts of chess events on Twitch and YouTube regularly attract over a million views per tournament.
Number of players: Over 200 million people regularly play chess online. Platforms like Chess.com and Lichess attract a huge community of fans of this game.
The most famous tournaments:
FIDE Online Chess Olympiad with thousands of competitors from more than 100 countries.
Champions Chess Tour with a prize fund of 1,5 million dollars.
Category 3: Sports simulations
The third category introduces digital versions of traditional sports. Games in this category simulate real sports disciplines and include:
Bicycling
Virtual cycling provides an affordable way to participate in the sport, while promoting a healthy lifestyle and competitive spirit. Millions of cyclists follow online broadcasts and participate in local qualifiers around the world.
The most famous tournaments:
Zwift Cycling Esports World Championships.
Taekwondo
Digital taekwondo allows athletes to improve their skills in a digital environment, which helps spread the sport and its availability around the world. The competitions are attracting more and more spectators, especially in Asia and Europe, where the sport has a long tradition.
The most famous tournaments:
Digital Tekvondo World Championships.
Sailing
Sailing in a virtual environment provides an authentic experience that blends technology with nature, allowing a global audience to connect with the sport. Virtual sailing competitions attract hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts worldwide.
The most famous tournaments:
Virtual Regatta World Championships.
Saudi Arabia, as the host of the first eSports Olympic Games, will set the standard for future events as eSports continues to bring together different cultures, generations and communities around the world.
Cooperation of SESCG and COK: The path to the development of e-sports in Montenegro
The Union of Electronic Sports of Montenegro (SESCG) and the Montenegrin Olympic Committee (COK) have been working for years on the development and promotion of e-sports and the gaming industry in Montenegro, the region, Europe and the world. Through joint projects, promotion of e-sports as part of modern sports society and investment in new generations of players, SESCG and COK are laying the foundations for the future of e-sports in the country.
Plans for 2025 include the organization of qualifications and the selection of the best competitors in Montenegro, who will represent the country at international competitions, including the Olympic e-sports games. This selection process will be part of the national leagues that have already started, while certain segments of the competition will start during February 2025. League activities will serve as a platform for identifying the best players who will wear the colors of Montenegro at regional and global competitions.
Montenegro will also host the largest e-sport and gaming conference in Europe - the European Gaming Summit, which will be held on May 10 and 11, 2025 in Bar. This event, organized with the support of the Municipality of Bar, the Tourism Organization of Bar and traditional partners of SESCG, will provide a unique opportunity for the exchange of knowledge and ideas about the development of e-sports and the gaming industry in Europe.
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