A few years ago, the International Olympic Committee announced that esports would be joining the long list of Summer Olympic events. This was met with cheers and appreciation from the esports community as they finally believed the industry would be properly represented on the world’s biggest stage. 

However, this was not the case. Once members of the community viewed the lineup of games, many were less than impressed. League of Legends and Fortnite, the two all-time most watched games on Twitch, were not included as well as popular games Valorant, Call of Duty, and Overwatch. 

Instead, Gran Turismo 7, Virtual Regatta, Just Dance and WBSC eBASEBALL: POWER PROS along with mobile games Tennis Clash and Tic Tac Bow fill out the slate of games. Unlike most within the community, senior Sam Berensztein was relatively content with the games and was rather excited for the surprise inclusion of one in particular: chess.

“I’m so happy to see chess getting the recognition it deserves,“ said Berensztein. “Chess grand masters deserve a place to show off their skill to a wider audience.”

As for the addition of mobile games, Berensztein has no qualms with it. 

“The day we start accepting all gamers into the community is the day we start erasing toxicity so I’m not angry,” said Berensztein. “I think this is a great step in the right direction.”

Other people don’t feel the same way. Sophomore Guy Goldman believes that the mobile games have no business being anywhere near esports, much less Olympic esports competitions.

“I feel like it’s a bit of a scam,” said Goldman. “You shouldn’t really be an Olympic gold medalist for winning a mobile game in my opinion.” 

Qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games have already begun and the qualified esport athletes will compete in the competition next summer in Paris.