League of Legends could be featured as an official Olympic event, if talks with developer Riot Games and the Olympic committee go as planned. The push into the Olympics could be yet another big move for the high-profile MOBA, which made headlines earlier this year when news broke that League of Legends has its own course in a South Korean high school.

The eSports industry has been rapidly expanding over the last few years, with annual competitions like Honor of Kings World Champion Cup and Fortnite World Cup Championship pulling massive audience numbers. A handful of schools across the globe have also begun including eSports as official varsity sports. A conversation about competitive video gaming would be incomplete without a mention of League of Legends, as its player base is one of the most dedicated and revered in the industry. The game’s focus on communication makes it a solid choice for a team sport, and the 12-year-old game is still receiving plenty of support from Riot Games by way of new playable characters like Akshan.

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While video gaming is still not considered a legitimate sport by many, there is a strong initiative from game publishers and developers to get gaming involved in official sporting events. As reported by Dexerto, Riot Games has been in conversation with Olympic leadership to have the game included as a medal event in the famed international sports competition. Global Head of League of Legends eSports Naz Aletaha told the gaming outlet that the company will “continue to have conversations with the various leaders at the Olympics.” This follows the 2018 decision to have League of Legends featured as a medal event in the Asian Games in 2022, a major step for eSports in its own right. While the company remains optimistic about the game’s prospects as an Olympic event, Aletaha expressed that the ultimate decision will have to be made by the International Olympic Committee.

The eSports world is rife with moneymaking potential, as evidenced by Marvel’s foray into sponsoring video game athletes. This, coupled with things like patented betting systems, makes eSports a viable option as a spectator sport. If the IOC is looking to bolster viewership and overall engagement in the Olympics, featuring League of Legends and eSports as a whole could be a smart decision.

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Of course, the Olympics is considered a sacred event by many sports fans, and some of those fans might not welcome the inclusion of a less physically demanding activity like gaming so easily. Competitive gaming is still in its infancy, so its position as a sport remains contested. eSports competitions, including ones featuring League of Legends, continue to exist, so fans can still get their fix even if it isn’t admitted to the Olympics.

Source: Dexerto

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Nick Rodriguez
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Nick Rodriguez is a Senior Writer for Screen Rant. While vigorously passionate about books, movies, and music, he was particularly drawn to video games since he first laid eyes on Spyro the Dragon and (much to his mother’s distaste) Silent Hill. More recently, his favorites have included Disco Elysium, Red Dead Redemption II, Kentucky Route Zero, and the Mass Effect series. Presently, he spends most of his time typing away in the chilly state of Wisconsin.

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