The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is taking its next steps in esports competitions, adding chess and Just dance To the mix
In June, the IOC will host the Olympic Esports Week, which expands the Olympic Virtual Series that it introduced in 2021 with some new events. Like the Olympic Virtual Series, Olympic Esports Week will focus on virtual representations of physical activities. While that means you won’t see any surveillance 2 gold medalists, the IOC is adding a few entries to the lineup that adhere less to the traditional concept of “sport.”
The novelties of the Olympic Esports Week are archery, tennis, tae kwon do, Just dance (Ubisoft’s hit dance franchise) and chess, which will sit alongside returning competitions in motorsports (via Grand Touring), cycling, baseball and sailing. Chess, to me, feels particularly remarkable given how big Twitch has become, and I think it could be very appealing to see the fight for the first Olympic esports chess champion.
Olympic Esports Week technically begins today, March 1, with the initial qualifiers. The competitions will conclude with an in-person event taking place in Singapore from June 22-25.
