Overview
- The IOC and the Saudi National Olympic Committee said the termination was mutual, leaving the event’s timing and host unresolved.
- The competition was first targeted for 2025 before being pushed to February 2027 under a 12‑year Saudi hosting plan agreed in 2024.
- The original deal was concluded under former IOC president Thomas Bach, and the reset comes with Kirsty Coventry now leading the IOC.
- An IOC statement said both parties will pursue their esports ambitions separately as the committee develops a refreshed approach and partnership model.
- Saudi Arabia remains host of the Esports World Championship, even as criticism continues over the country’s use of major events to deflect from human rights concerns.