Some of the biggest names in gaming met with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the weekend to openly discuss eSports and create “a platform for future engagement” between the industry and the Olympic movement. While the purpose of the meeting was not to decide whether eSports would make an appearance in some form for the 2024 Olympic Games, it showed that the cultural phenomena has grown to the point where the Olympic committee can not overlook the possibility.
The attendees invited to the discussion included both industry executives as well as professional players. Nicolo Laurent and Mike Morhaime, the CEOs of Riot Games and Blizzard Entertainment respectively, sat with Rick Fox, a former pro basketball player and owner of Echo-Fox to discuss the current state of the industry and the direction it’s moving in.
Jacob Lyon from the Houston Outlaws Overwatch team spoke with IOC president Thomas Bach regarding the similarities between traditional sports and eSports. Part of their discussion focused on the same energy and camaraderie that competition brings, regardless of what the medium is.
These talks are part of a longer series of discussions leading up to the topic being put on the agenda and voted on at the Olympic Summit in December. For now, the next meeting on the issue will be at the Olympism in Action Forum in Buenos Aires this October.
For those interested in seeing the entire dialogue, you can find a YouTube link below. The video is over 8 hours long, but by expanding the info section, there’s a breakdown of the program so you can jump to the section that most interests you.
Featured Image Credits: Gresports
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