Olympics are known for physical competitions like swimming, archery, running, gymnastics, etc. The organization of the Olympics has been showing great interest in eSports since the last few years. Back in the 2018 Winter Olympics Games, Intel & ESL hosted the IEM PyeongChang event. Since then, gaming in the Olympics has been a hot topic for the community of gamers.
Gaming in Olympics 2020 will break new grounds in the eSports community. The International Olympic Committee & Intel have partnered up to announce Intel World Open. In today’s piece, we’ll be covering everything related to gaming in the Olympics & what you should expect.
Intel World Open – Gaming in The Olympics
One of the world’s leading multinational technology corporations, Intel & The International Olympic Committee have finally answered the prayers of every gamer. Intel World Open is an eSports competition that the world will experience in the 2020 Olympics Tokyo, Japan. Due to COVID-19 2020 Olympics will start in late July 2021.
Intel World Open will feature two games, Rocket League & Street Fighter V. As quoted by The Esports Observer, winners of each contest will get $250,000. Moreover, developers of Rocket League & Street Fighter V will partner up with Intel & Olympics community.
Gaming in the Olympics is a significant win for the eSports community. Sports Director at IOC, Kit McConnell, said,
“We are excited Intel is bringing the Intel World Open esports tournament to Japan in the lead up to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. As we explore the engagement between esports and the Olympic Movement, we are looking forward to learning from this event and continuing to engage with the passionate esports community from around the world.“
Breaking Down Intel World Open – Gaming in Olympics 2020
On selection of Street Fighter V & Rocket League, Intel’s business development director, Mark Subotnick, clarified some points. He said that these titles were selected so that every viewer can easily keep up with the action. Moreover, according to Mark,
“The legacy of the Street Fighter franchise, especially in Japan, was also a key factor in its inclusion.“
Production of Intel World Open will be handled by non-other than ESL. ESL has many years of experience hosting large tournaments. Open online qualifiers will take place in June 2021 & the final qualifying event will go down in Katowice, Poland. The Intel World Open will itself start in late July 2021.
Esports Insiders on gaming in the Olympics said,
“If the IEM event hosted around the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics was a test run, then this feels like the first real attempt at intertwining esports and the Olympics. It’s a great opportunity for the players – in which everyone has a chance to qualify thanks to the open format – and for esports as a whole to be in the spotlight.“
Why We Won’t See Popular eSports Titles @ Olympics 2020
In December 2019, IOC stated in the 8th Olympic Summit that the committee would prefer video games that simulate traditional sports. IOC previously expressed the concerns related to violent games that such content can hurt the values of Olympic.
So that’s that in recent times we won’t be able to see games like CSGO, Fortnite, etc. at the Olympics.
All caught with gaming in Olympics 2020? Check out these ten movies for every eSports fan.
