The Singapore Olympic Games are making waves with their particular approach to eSports, which has greatly disappointed players. Of Tennis Clashseriously ?
Which player has never dreamed of an Olympic competition dedicated to video games? With the Olympic Esports Series, a competition that will take place in Singapore in June 2023,expectations were high. But the cold shower quickly arrived when the list of games selected for this major competition was unveiled. Of Tennis Clashseriously ?
The Olympic Games and their curious definition of esports
The Singapore Olympics is not a traditional Olympics, but an esports competition organized by the International Olympic Committee. If you were expecting to see ultra-popular titles like League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Call of Duty or Super Smash Bros… you will put your finger in the eye. Instead, the games selected are simulations of real sports such as tennis, sailing, taekwondo or even dancing. Here is the full list:
- The archery : Tic Tac Bow
- And baseball: WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS
- Chess : Chess.com
- Cycling : Zwift
- Dance : Just Dance
- The sports car : Grand Touring
- Sailing : Virtual Regatta
- Tennis : Tennis Clash
- In taekwondo : Virtual Taekwondo
A cold welcome from the players
This selection naturally aroused the disappointment of players and esports fans who hoped to see more popular and competitive games on the Olympic stage… And we understand them! “They disrespected all the players with this list. I’m appalled”, laments a user on Twitter. Even if Just Dance et Grand Touring remain popular franchises, not sure they’re enough to hyper gamers enough.
The organizers justified their choice by explaining that these games are directly related to real sports, thus making it possible to promote their practices. But for esports fans, it’s a bit like being served a fruit salad as their main meal.