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The popularity of esports has increased significantly in recent years with Singapore set to host the inaugural Olympic Esports Week – a four-day global virtual and simulated sports competition running from 22nd to 25th June 2023, created by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and in collaboration with International Federations (IFs) and game publishers.
The Olympic Esports Series 2023 began this week, with both professional and amateur players from around the world having been invited to take part in qualification rounds across a host of the featured games.
The initially confirmed featured games across nine sports are:
David Lappartient, Chair of the IOC Esports Liaison Group notes “the Olympic Movement brings people together in peaceful competition. The Olympic Esports Series 2023 is a continuation of that, with the ambition of creating more spaces to play for both players and fans of elite competition. We look forward to witnessing some of the world’s best compete on the global stage, as well as exploring together shared opportunities and lessons - across health and wellbeing, training and innovation.”
Singapore’s hosting of the virtual sport competition underscores Singapore’s strategy to encourage the development of sports in both physical and virtual forms to broaden participation by showcasing ground-breaking innovations and introducing new avenues for Singaporeans to engage in sports.
Lim Teck Yin, Sport Singapore Chief Executive notes “hosting the inaugural Olympic Esports Week marks another milestone for sporting Singapore, and we are excited to work with the IOC to bring this dynamic vision for virtual sports to life. The festival will be a platform for the local sport industry to collaborate with international federations and tech companies, and this will no doubt give a boost for the development of the local and regional virtual sports scene.”
Singapore has hosted several prestigious esports events since 2020. These include the US$18.9 million (S$25.3 million) The International, the biggest global tournament for Dota 2 which took place last October; the US$800,000 Mobile Legends Big Bang (MLBB) M3 World Championship; the US$2 million Free Fire World Series and the US$500,000 Wild Rift Horizon Cup.
Ahead of the inaugural Olympic Esports Week, Vincent Pereira (pictured above), International Olympic Committee (IOC) head of virtual sport notes that traditional sport won’t disappear but esports can complement it. Pereira highlights that the IOC’s focus is still on virtual sports competitions and promoting sports that are linked to their international federations, but insisted that there were other ways to incorporate traditional esports titles into events through free-to-play zones and showcases.
Pereira was appointed to the newly created role of Head of Virtual Sport within the IOC Sports Department, in March 2022. Created in the framework of Recommendation 9 of Olympic Agenda 2020+5, this new position aims to contribute to developing virtual sport and to further engaging with videogaming communities, including leading the coordinated planning and delivery of the Olympic Virtual Series, which debuted in 2021.
At the time of Pereira’s appointment, IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell enthused “I am delighted to welcome Vincent Pereira to lead the IOC Virtual Sport team. He will help us leverage the growing popularity of virtual sport to promote the Olympic Movement, the Olympic values and sports participation, and grow direct relations with young people. His broad experience in virtual sport, and digital strategies and activities, will be a great asset for the organisation and the Olympic Movement.
Pereira shares “technologies are happening, virtual forms of sport are happening. I think it’s complementary – we cannot say that traditional sport will disappear, but there is an integration of virtual sports.
“When we think of sports like skiing and golf, athletes are using virtual forms of technology to train themselves and perform better, it’s the evolution of how we are doing sport.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) worked with five International Sports Federations and game publishers to produce the inaugural Olympic Virtual Series (OVS) in 2021 - the first-ever Olympic licensed event for physical and non-physical virtual sports open to the public.
The 2021 Olympic Virtual Series attracted over 250,000 contestants from across 100 countries, featuring simulated sports including baseball, motorsport, cycling, rowing and sailing.
The Olympic Esports Week in 2023 will feature the best of virtual sports – both hybrid physical and sports simulations. Those attending can look forward to experiencing a variety of virtual sports, including exhibitions of the latest technologies, panel discussions, education sessions and show matches. A highlight of the OEW will be the first in-person live finals of the Olympic Esports Series (OES), a unique virtual and simulated sports competition which may include Taekwondo and Archery.
While esports are not part of the Olympic programme, Pereira did not rule out the possibility that a virtual sport could be part of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, citing examples such as cycling, triathlon and dancesport.
Pereira adds “we have made it very clear – the door is open. LA 2028 the door is open and it depends on the proposals submitted into the programme and discussions with the international federations.”
With the accelerated interest and growth of the esports community, hosting the inaugural OEW will further strengthen Singapore’s line-up of major sporting and virtual sports events.
Edwin Tong, Singapore Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law advised “we are honoured and delighted to host the inaugural Olympic Esports Week in 2023. The Olympic Esports Week will catalyse the development of sport technology and innovation in virtual sports and showcase new avenues for Singaporeans to lead an active lifestyle.
“It will also have a significant impact on our esports sector, and more importantly create new common ground by bringing together different communities, especially sport and esports enthusiasts and the youths. We look forward to welcoming delegates and participants to our shores in 2023, and delivering a memorable Olympic Esports Week.
“Singapore has played host to Olympic events including the 117th IOC Session in 2005 and the first edition of the Youth Olympic Games in 2010. It is our privilege to have this opportunity to co-create the inaugural Olympic Esports Week with the IOC and be part of this exciting milestone of the Olympic Movement. We look forward to welcoming our Olympic family and friends to Singapore in June 2023.”
The Olympic Esports Series 2023 will culminate in live, in-person finals for the first time, with players having the opportunity to progress to the Olympic Esports Finals 2023. The finals action will take place at Singapore’s Suntec Centre and will be streamed globally across Olympics.com and Olympic social channels.
To receive details on additional featured games across sports that will be added to the Olympic Esports Series 2023, and how to take part, players and fans can visit Olympics.com
Each featured game in the Olympic Esports Series 2023 has its own competition format and entry requirements. In addition to this, these requirements will align with the current IOC recommendations on the participation of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports, and should be followed by the IFs and publishers.
Image top: Olympic Esports Credit: IOC; Virtual Taekwondo. Credit: Sport Singapore; Vincent Pereira International Olympic Committee head of virtual sport; Olympic Esports Credit: IOC
