French President Emmanuel Macron recently indicated an interest in gathering together both the international gaming community and international sports community for major events in France in 2024.
His remarks came before his re-election as President during an interview with French technology outlet The Big Whale. In response to a question about video game culture he indicated an interest in fostering the entertainment medium.
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“Even if it would be a lie to say that I was a very active gamer, I am part of a generation that grew up with video games – and that understands what it represents in terms of culture, especially for our youth,” said Macron.
“It is a French asset in today’s world: we are one of the great nations of video games, recognized throughout the world for the richness of its works, the quality of its training and the dynamism of its industry.”
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He also highlighted video games as an important part of “French cultural soft power,” noting he wanted to make France “the country of video games.”
France is home to a handful of major video game publishers such as Ubisoft and Voodoo. The country also hosts a collection of well known esports teams like Team Vitality, PSG Esports, and Karmine Corp.
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“We have, in this regard, a historic opportunity: that of the 2024 Olympic Games,” said Macron. “It is up to us to take advantage of it to make the link between the Olympiads of the two worlds by hosting that year the biggest sporting events in the world: a CS:GO major, the World [Championship] of League of Legends, and The International of Dota 2.”
France has yet to be awarded the hosting rights for any of the three major gaming competitions mentioned by Macron. However, Paris has staged parts of the League of Legends World Championship in the past.
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has slowly involved itself in the world of esports over the last few years. It staged the Olympic Virtual Series (OVS) in the lead up to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
The OVS saw a combination of virtual sports, such as indoor rowing and ecycling, played along more familiar video game titles like Gran Turismo. However, more popular video game titles, such as League of Legends, CS:GO, and DOTA 2, were absent from the festival.
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Esports has never featured at the Olympic Games, though it has begun to make inroads elsewhere. The sport will feature as an official sport at this summer’s Asian Games, after featuring as a demonstration sport at the 2018 Asian Games. The Commonwealth Esports Championships will also be held in conjunction with the 2022 Commonwealth Games this summer.
While it remains to be seen if France will become a hub for both international gaming and international sports in 2024, it is clear that both spheres are becoming more and more intertwined.
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