It was reported recently that representatives for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games were discussing possibly adding a competitive gaming tournament with the International Olympic Committee. Although the option for bringing such a thing to the event is still a possibility, the President of the IOC has made it clear that violent video games would not be acceptable for the Olympics.

President Thomas Bach spoke in an interview about “Olympic Values” and how these types of games contradict the message the event is meant to convey. According to Bach, if such a tournament were to be included, it would feature something more along the lines of sports games.

“We want to promote non-discrimination, non-violence, and peace among people. This doesn’t match with video games, which are about violence, explosions and killing. And there we have to draw a clear line.

So if ever somebody is competing at playing football virtually or playing other sports virtually, this is of high interest. We hope that, then, these players are really delivering sports performance. If [fans] at the end would even play the sports in the real world, we would even be more happy.”

So far, it has not been confirmed whether a video game competition will be included in the 2024 Olympic Games, but Bach has confirmed that they are discussing it. He says that, “It will still take some time because this industry is now shaping itself. It’s a successful industry, but it is not yet really established in an organisational way.” We shall see after the 2020 Games in Tokyo, when the official list of sports will drop.

Although Paris has not been officially announced as the host of the 2024 Olympic Games, it is expected to be announced in September. What do you think of the decision to leave out “violent” video games from the Olympics? Do you think it’s ridiculous or understandable? Let us know in the comment section below and then make sure to follow DFTG on Twitter to stay updated on all the hottest gaming news 24/7!