In a significant development for gaming enthusiasts, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has included ‘Fortnite’ in its Olympic Esports Finals lineup. As part of the event, twelve skilled players from the ‘Fortnite Champion Series will participate in a sharpshooting competition on a specially designed Fortnite Creative Island.
While this competition will not feature the traditional last-one-standing battles or building demonstrations, it will showcase the world’s top virtual sports shooters in action, backed by the International Shooting Sport Federation. This decision marks a significant milestone for esports and recognizes the growing influence of gaming in the sporting world.
In a related announcement, the IOC released tickets for the Olympic Esports Week. This event will feature the first-ever in-person finals of the 2023 competition series and is set to take place in Singapore from June 22nd to June 25th.
Attendees can purchase a single-day ticket for just $7.50 USD. A three-day pass for $15 USD to watch the competition unfold from June 23rd. The Fortnite sport shooting matches start on June 24th.
Fans from worldwide can watch the stream on Olympic.com and Olympic’s official social media accounts.
Olympic Esports Week
The Olympic Esports Series has expanded to include nine games closely resembling real-world sports managed by international federations. These games include Just Dance, Gran Turismo racing, Zwift cycling, and even web chess. This move follows last year’s Olympic Virtual Series showcasing five digital sports. The IOC views this as a significant step towards promoting esports and engaging with the video gaming community.
Including Fortnite in the Olympic Esports Series aligns with the Committee’s esports strategy, providing a “peaceful competition” with a physical counterpart. Although games like Counter-Strike 2 or League of Legends may not feature in a digital Olympics anytime soon, Fortnite’s immense popularity makes it an excellent addition to the Esports Series. This move may attract new audiences who would otherwise not attend traditional esports tournaments. Overall, the inclusion of Fortnite marks a significant milestone in the growth of esports as legitimate and recognized competitive activity.
