While esports competitions are gaining more and more followers around the world, the idea of making it an Olympic event is also gaining ground. A question of DNA and values to be shared, according to François-Xavier Denièle, in charge of esports at Ubisoft.
Little by little, esports is charting its course and becoming more and more solidly structured. Since July 1, 2017, professional players have a legal status in France as employees with a fixed-term contract (from 1 to 5 years), renewable indefinitely and without a waiting period. Recognized esports players also benefit from social protection.
According to Statista, France thus had, in 2021, 915 registered esports players, 2nd very far behind the United States (3,630), but just ahead of Germany (900). Flagship countries for esports, Brazil (889) and South Korea (844) have even fewer.
France at the forefront of esports legislation
First steps which are an encouraging sign, recognizes François-Xavier Denièle, vice-president in charge of esports and competitive games at Ubisoft. “France is a fairly advanced market on the legislative aspect and the discussions with the State are really interesting,” he explains. “We really see an interest from the public authorities in the development of esports”. It must be said that general meetings of esports have already been organized and that President Emmanuel Macron has also taken decisions in this direction to make France “a place of world esports” with the organization of finals of most prestigious competitions.
A Major of Counter-Strike: GO is already planned for next May. But others will follow like the Trackmania Gameson which Ubisoft is working for 2024. “It will be very innovative, very different, like the game”, underlines François-Xavier Denièle about a title which has already experienced multiple competitions, the most famous of which is driven by the ZeratoR streamer.
For the esports manager, the recognition of esports by public authorities is an important first step. But this must also go through the European Union to review the competitions between the regions of the world and carry out “cohesion work”. “There is a real subject on the reception of players, visas, transfers of players from one region to another for competitions,” he said. “We are not like sport to plan a long time in advance. We often know very late which team will participate in a competition.”
To strengthen the framework for esport players and teams, or quite simply the place of esport gaming in France, he believes that the place of associations in the ecosystem must be better defined. We must also better protect the player and find him a well-defined place on the job market.
What about esports at the Olympic Games?
France is thus a driving force in the search for a legislative framework at European level. But this is not the only subject on which she fights to have the place of esport recognized. There are also the Olympics. The induction of competitive video games into the Olympic calendar has long been rumored. But this possibility has brought together as many supporters as detractors. Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee had, in 2020, argued that esports could be admitted to the Olympic program one day, but “it all depends on when that day comes.” From Brazil to Japan via Germany or France, we hope soon.
We can see that there is nevertheless a real desire to structure a story around esports”, says François-Xavier Denièle. “It takes time, because it has to find its own DNA and that it associated with the Olympic values.”
An association that can only succeed, according to the head of Ubisoft. “We have, on both sides, got to know each other for many years,” he explains. “We are maturing and it will become interesting to see how we respect the DNA and the values of both. But I think that the Olympics really have an increasingly important interest in esports. game, what kind of model we want to see with them. But I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
It remains to be seen which game will win and will have the right to Olympic laurels. At Ubisoft, we obviously hope that a house title will be retained, but the tenors of the sector, of League of Legends To Dota 2 Passing by Fifa Or PUBGwill also be neck and neck to be the lucky ones.
The beginnings of a possible arrival at the Olympic Games, the Asian Games, organized in the fall of 2023, will host esports events for the first time, with a medal at stake. And among the first in the running: Dota 2, FIFA, Hearthstone, League of Legends or Street Fighter V. The first trial run for many publishers, but also players, could take the form of the very first Olympic Esports Week organized in Singapore from June 22 to 25, 2023.
