The upcoming Olympic Esports Week, taking place in Singapore from June 22 to 25, has left many gamers scratching their heads over the selection of games that will be featured. While classics like Dota 2 and Counter-Strike are expected to be included, so are lesser-known titles such as Tic Tac Bow and Tennis Clash, which have received low ratings on the Google Play Store. Other games scheduled to appear include Just Dance, Chess, Zwift, Virtual Taekwondo, Virtual Regatta, and WBSC eBaseball: Power Pros.
Although the event is being put on by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), these games are not being added to the Olympic Games themselves. While it’s understandable that audiences and organizers need to be introduced to the idea that virtual sports can still be sports, using virtual recreations of already existing events may not be the best way to bridge that gap.
It’s unclear why the organizers chose these particular games, but the selection has disappointed esports devotees and may confuse traditional sports fans. Interest in the Olympics has declined in recent years, and the addition of esports that people actually care about to Olympic-affiliated events or even the Olympics themselves could help recapture the public’s attention. However, these strange mobile games seem like a clumsy first step in that direction.
The selection of games for the Olympic Esports Week seems random and may confuse traditional sports fans while disappointing esports enthusiasts. However, it could be a tentative sign of things to come as organizers strive to regain public interest, given that interest in the Olympics has been on the decline. While these mobile games are unlikely to be the solution, they may pave the way for the inclusion of more popular esports in future Olympic-affiliated events, or even the Olympics itself.
