France lays out plans for a national esports ecosystem

The French authorities are throwing themselves wholeheartedly into esports with a clear goal: to host the IOC’s Olympic esports week in 2024, the year of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The government has revealed details about its upcoming esports strategy. It is creating a ‘national ecosystem’ to regulate the esports industry.

The new strategy aims to increase France’s attractiveness to companies that organize esports competitions, game publishers, game developers, esports organizations, and other businesses.

Announcement of the new national ecosystem

The announcement was made on Monday, January 16, by the French government, at the end of a working meeting of the stakeholders of the esports ecosystem, around three ministers:

• Amélie Oudéa-Castéra for Sports and Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• Jean-Noël Barrot for Digital Transition and Telecommunications
• Rima Abdul Malak for Culture

The workshop’s objective was to define the national esports strategy for the next three years based on five main actions. Among them is the bid to organize the esports Olympic Week in 2024.

On the other hand, one of the main ideas is the development of visas for athletes and other esports-related talents. With this action, the potential of French esports teams could be increased by recruiting international players and talents. Furthermore, it will further increase France’s attractiveness to foreign esports organizations.

These strategies also include mapping industry players and creating regional esports offices in two to four pilot regions, including the South region.

About the Nominating Committee

A nomination committee has also been created. It will be co-chaired by:

• The French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).
• The Interministerial Delegation for Major Sports Events (Délégation Interministérielle des Grand Sports Events)
• The Paris&Co incubator
• The Paris 2024 OCOG

The committee will be in charge of drawing up and presenting a project to public stakeholders next spring. They are coordinated by Matthieu Péché, director of the Vitality team in the Counter-Strike game and bronze medalist in double canoe slalom (C2) at the Rio 2016 Games.

Olympic week of esports

An Olympic esports Week is a new event launched by the IOC to continue its Olympic Virtual Series. Its first edition is scheduled for June (22-25) in Singapore. The next one is planned for the end of 2024.

Olympic esports week will seek to bring the best of virtual sports, both physical and simulated. The four-day event will get the latest technologies, some panel discussions, educational sessions, and demonstration matches.

IOC President Thomas Bach said of the event:

“The first International Olympic Week is a significant step in our ambition to support the growth of eSports within the Olympic movement.”

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