The first edition of the eSports Olympics will take place in 2027, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) has already started study groups to analyze the topic and plan the national participation in the new tournament. The management, which recently completed one hundred days, treats the subject as a priority, highlighting that promoting the topic is a mission of the COB in the current sports scenario.
According to Matheus Figueiredo, Institutional Relations Manager at COB, “this agenda is on the table” and the goal is to understand the eSports ecosystem, create integrated solutions with other entities and adapt to demands. He believes it is essential to encourage the segment and “understand this new moment”, since it is an innovative modality within the Olympic movement.
However, there are still doubts about which games will be part of the event. The categories defined by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) include physical sports on virtual platforms, simulators and games aligned with Olympic values. The IOC has a partnership with the eSports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), which is also responsible for organizing the eSports World Cup.
Matheus Figueiredo emphasizes that the COB participates in the IOC’s discussions on eSports to closely monitor the latest developments: “It is an item that we are treating with care. There are some agendas of the International Olympic Committee itself, in relation to eSports, that we have participated in to learn a little more and look at this subject carefully.”
He also highlighted the role of the COB in the Brazilian Olympic movement: “The world is changing and I think we all have to adapt a little, reflect and understand the responsibilities of each of these processes. The COB, as the guiding force of the Olympic movement in Brazil, has the responsibility to take this issue and deal with it in a transparent manner, seeking definitions. And that is what we are doing.”
Inspiration for national federations
Innovation is already inspiring national federations. The Brazilian Table Tennis Confederation, for example, holds the Virtual Brazilian Championship, inspired by an international initiative. According to Figueiredo, encouraging the integration of these ecosystems is crucial, especially when it comes to high performance for eSports athletes.
Matheus Figueiredo explained: “It is an existing segment and I think we have to check with the confederations, which is why these innovation ecosystems are so important to foster, so that these solutions happen and impact this movement.
This other part of games, of the Olympic Games, I think is a little different. We are talking about multidisciplinary work, including the development of e-sports athletes. Top e-games athletes already have a different mental, physical and nutritional preparation to be able to achieve high performance.
I think that when you start thinking about high performance, you have to think a little differently. What is my goal? What do I need? What information do I need? And, from there, create an action to achieve the result that I am proposing.”
Figueiredo also commented on Brazil’s role on the global stage: “If the proposal is to position ourselves as a country that will compete in games and we want to do this in a professional manner, what do I need to achieve the result I hope for? We need to lead this movement so that these different ecosystems, in some way, communicate and can impact the entire Olympic movement.”
Calendar and definitions about eSports events
In Rio de Janeiro, the City Hall has already defined an annual calendar of eSports events until 2026, and this month, the Rainbow Six World Championship will be held at Arena Carioca 1. The City Hall’s chief executive for games and eSports, Chandy Teixeira, highlighted the city’s importance in this context, explaining: “It is the first public office for games and electronic sports in Latin America. So, we are in a learning moment. Speaking specifically about the area of electronic sports, I think it connects with the city’s purpose.
Rio is a tourist city, it has a vocation for attracting events, and esports are a major hub within this new creative industry. What are we doing at the moment? We want to ensure that we continue to be the global leader in major events.
We have a calendar until 2026. We will host the Rainbow Six World Championship in May, and we will start to have an annual calendar so that Rio de Janeiro residents who play electronic sports have a place to play, have their championships, because we are going to train for the 2027 Olympics.”
Economic impact and advances of eSports in the country
The city government estimates the economic impact at US$7 million, involving direct and indirect actions. During the Free Fire World Championship, hotel occupancy in Barra da Tijuca reached 90%, according to local data.
Despite the progress, Chandy emphasizes that important decisions are still needed for the 2027 Games, and he said: “We must congratulate the IOC for having the courage to take action in this area. Having said that, now comes the point of attention. The Olympics will be in 2027, and so far, we do not know what the Olympic sports will be. This makes it very difficult for countries to organize themselves and train these athletes.
I think the IOC has the responsibility to announce the games as soon as possible. Electronic sports already have an organic, independent life. Among its most popular games, Counter-Strike, League of Legends, Rainbow Six, Free Fire, FIFA… We are already considering these games. So, soon, we will also have a professional team here in Rio to compete in the main national and international competitions.”
