Olympic Committee Severs Esports Ties with Saudi Arabia, Scraps Historic Deal

The International Olympic Committee has pulled the plug on its high-profile esports partnership with Saudi Arabia, just one year after the alliance was announced. The move scraps a planned 12-year collaboration and ditches the idea of hosting the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in the Kingdom.

An IOC statement released this week cuts straight to the chase: the partnership with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) is over, following a joint review. Both groups “are committed to pursuing their own esports ambitions on separate paths.” In other words, they’re going solo from here on out. Here’s the twist: this isn’t just a simple parting of ways. For the IOC, it’s a full reset on what Olympic esports should look like, and who gets to host the Games first.

No More Olympic Esports Games in Saudi Arabia

The IOC’s 12-year deal with Saudi Arabia was meant to be a game changer for esports under the Olympic banner. The plan was huge: host the world’s first Olympic Esports Games in Saudi Arabia, heralding a new era for digital competition. That vision is now out the window.

“This approach will be a chance to better fit the Olympic Esports Games to the long-term ambitions of the Olympic Movement and to spread the opportunities presented by the Olympic Esports Games more widely, with the objective of having the inaugural Games as soon as possible,” reads the IOC’s careful statement. Translation: they want a reboot, and they don’t want to be locked into a long-term deal before they figure out what makes sense for everyone involved.

Saudi Arabia isn’t backing down from its esports dreams either. Even as its Olympic relationship unravels, the nation’s Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) claims it’s full steam ahead with its own bold plans.

“EWCF will continue to focus on building on the success of the Esports World Cup, the world’s largest gaming and esports festival, and launching the inaugural Esports Nations Cup in November 2026, a landmark event celebrating national pride, global competition, and community connection,” the group said in its own statement. The Esports Nations Cup is pitched as a major new competition, distinct from anything the IOC was developing.

Saudi Arabia’s High-Stakes Push Into Gaming Continues

Even without the Olympic label, Saudi Arabia’s esports ambitions are massive. The country has poured money into gaming, aiming to reshape its economic future beyond oil through tech and entertainment. At the heart of this is the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has snapped up major chunks of industry powerhouses. Among its investments: stakes in Take-Two and Nintendo, plus a headline-making agreement to gain control of Electronic Arts.

The EWCF says it’ll keep growing with “an inclusive and sustainable international esports ecosystem, co-created with key stakeholders around the world.” The message is all about collaboration and fair play, echoing traditional sports ideals. “EWCF will continue to collaborate with global partners, to expand opportunities for players, clubs, and fans everywhere, while championing the spirit of fair play and innovation that unites traditional sport and esports alike.”

As for the Olympic future of esports, the IOC is back to the drawing board. Their new approach aims to accelerate the launch of the first Olympic Esports Games, but now the doors are back open for cities worldwide to pitch their vision for what this event should be.

One thing’s clear: both sides aren’t slowing down. The end of the partnership simply resets the playing field for the next round of esports power moves, and the stakes have only gotten higher.