Violent video games have ‘no place at the Olympics’, but e-sports are still in the running

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, said in an exclusive interview that the Games had welcomed several new sports that are popular with millennials, but on e-sports, despite their stellar rise, it would have to proceed with caution.

“We want to promote non-discrimination, non-violence, and peace among people. This doesn’t match with video games, which are about violence, explosions and killing. And there we have to draw a clear line,” he said.

E-sports that mirror those played in real life – like soccer or basketball – could be considered for the Olympics, but those that involve gratuitous violence and bloodshed went against “Olympic values”, Bach said.

“So if ever somebody is competing at playing football virtually or playing other sports virtually, this is of high interest. We hope that, then, these players are really delivering sports performance. If [fans] at the end would even play the sports in the real world, we would even be more happy,” he said.

The multibillion-dollar video gaming industry has already succeeded in gaining inclusion at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

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