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| Riyadh, the home of the Esports World Cup, will no longer host the first Olympic Esports Games. Esports World Cup (file photo) |
ANTIPOLO—Saudi Arabia has pulled out as the host of the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2027.
The International Olympic Committee confirmed on Thursday that it has ended a 12-year agreement with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee that would have seen Riyadh, the home of the Esports World Cup, hosting the Esports Olympics.
"Recently, the two parties and the Esports World Cup Foundation sat down again and reviewed this initiative. They mutually agreed that they will end their cooperation on the Olympic Esports Games. At the same time, both parties are committed to pursuing their own esports ambitions on separate paths," the IOC said in a statement.
The Olympic Esports Games were supposed to be launched this year, but were postponed to 2027 for undisclosed reasons.
Saudi Arabia's decision to withdraw as host is the latest setback in the plan to make esports an official Olympic sport.
While the IOC and EWCF have much time to find a country that is willing to host the Esports Olympics, it also adds uncertainty if the said event will take place in two years, since it has already been pushed back.
However, the IOC assured that even if it is in "pause and reflect" mode, the first edition of the Olympic Esports Games will push through via 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 IOC further said, banking on "a great desire and considerable support for the initiative" from Olympic and esports stakeholders.
With the Olympic Esports Games already rescheduled to 2027, barring another possible postponement brought about by Saudi Arabia's decision, Sibol, the Philippine national esports team, is now focusing on the Southeast Asian Games this year and the Asian Games next year.
Headlining Sibol's SEA Games team is Mobile Legends Bang Bang representative Team Liquid Philippines, the reigning EWC MLBB champ, which just successfully defended its MPL Philippines title on Sunday night.
