IOC, Saudi Arabia end partnership to host Olympic Esports Games
text_fields
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that it will no longer jointly organise the Olympic Esports Games with Saudi Arabia.
The decision to end the collaboration was described as “mutual,” allowing both parties to pursue their esports goals independently, the IOC said in a statement on its website.
In 2024, Saudi Arabia and the IOC had signed a 12-year agreement for the kingdom to host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games. The termination of the deal marks a rare setback in Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a global gaming hub — a key pillar of its plan to diversify its economy beyond oil.
Riyadh hosted the world’s first Esports World Cup last year, attracting over 1,500 players competing for a share of a $60 million prize pool. The kingdom is also set to host major upcoming events, including the Asian Winter Games in 2029 and the FIFA World Cup in 2034.
The Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee has not yet responded to requests for comment on the IOC’s announcement.
Saudi Arabia’s growing investment in esports underscores its broader economic transformation efforts. The kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), recently participated in a massive $55 billion deal to take Electronic Arts Inc. private.
The IOC said it remains committed to “developing a new approach to the Olympic Esports Games,” but did not provide further details.
Saudi Arabia has been expanding its footprint in the global gaming industry through major acquisitions. In 2022, its state-backed Savvy Games Group purchased esports tournament organiser ESL and later merged it with gaming platform FaceIt in a $1.5 billion deal. More recently, the country acquired RTS, a gaming talent firm and the organiser of the EVO fighting game tournaments.