Olympic Esports Games Set to Take Place in Saudi Arabia Cancelled - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 03 November 2025 / 2,522 Views
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) following an internal review have agreed to cancel the inaugural Olympic Esports Games that were due to take place in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
The IOC "will develop a new approach to the Olympic Esports Games, taking the feedback from the 'Pause and Reflect' process into account, and pursue 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."
"We thank the IOC and SOPC for the open and collaborative dialogue over the past year," said the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) in its own statement. "Esports continues to inspire millions of fans and athletes globally, and we recognize the shared ambition to elevate digital competition on the world stage.
"EWCF will continue to focus on building on the success of the Esports World Cup, the world’s largest gaming and esports festival, and launching the inaugural Esports Nations Cup in November 2026, a landmark event celebrating national pride, global competition, and community connection.
"We remain committed to fostering an inclusive and sustainable international esports ecosystem, co-created with key stakeholders around the world. EWCF will continue to collaborate with global partners, to expand opportunities for players, clubs, and fans everywhere, while championing the spirit of fair play and innovation that unites traditional sport and esports alike."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
