Olympic Esports Games 2027 in Riyadh: what the IOC has announced, what is still open (dates, game lineup) — tracked with a data angle by Batru.
The first-ever Olympic Esports Games will be held in 2027 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — an IOC event delivered with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, with the Esports World Cup Foundation as Founding Partner. Exact dates and the game lineup have not been announced; the IOC has said first-person shooters will not feature.
The International Olympic Committee confirmed that the inaugural Olympic Esports Games will take place in 2027 in Riyadh, in partnership with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee. The event was originally floated for late 2025 and lands between the 2026 Winter Olympics and the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.
The Esports World Cup Foundation — the organization behind the Esports World Cup held in Riyadh each summer — is Founding Partner, and a joint IOC/SOPC committee steers the Games. A "Road to the Games" qualification concept has been announced, but the competition calendar is still to be published.
The game lineup is not yet announced. The IOC has stated that first-person shooter titles will not be featured; beyond that, which esports make the Olympic program is the biggest open question — and the one this page will track.
Olympic-style events mean national or mixed rosters with little shared history — exactly the situation where team-reputation punditry fails and draft-level data holds up. If the lineup includes a title Batru models, this hub gets the full treatment: calibrated pre-match numbers, pick/ban analysis and post-event receipts, the same format as our International and Esports World Cup coverage.
In 2027, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Exact dates have not been announced yet — the IOC confirmed the year and host city and said a "Road to the Games" qualification phase will precede the event. The Games were originally floated for late 2025 before being moved to 2027.
The lineup has not been announced. The IOC has ruled out first-person shooters; the rest of the program — including whether MOBAs such as Dota 2 or League of Legends make the cut — is still open. This page will be updated the day the lineup is published.
Unknown. Neither has been confirmed or ruled out by name. For context, League of Legends is a medal title at the 2026 Asian Games, while Dota 2 was left out of that program — reports cited its unpredictable match length as a broadcast challenge.
The Esports World Cup is a club competition run by the Esports World Cup Foundation each summer in Riyadh. The Olympic Esports Games are an IOC event — Olympic framing and governance — with the EWCF involved as Founding Partner.
Batru is an independent data site and is not affiliated with the International Olympic Committee, the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee or the Esports World Cup Foundation. Details reflect official announcements as of September 2026 and will be updated as dates and the game lineup are confirmed.
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