Mario & Sonic Abandoned by the Olympics as The Organisation Favors NFTs and eSports Instead

For nearly two decades, the beloved Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series has been a staple at the Olympics. The long-standing partnership between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Nintendo and Sega has ended. 

Instead, the IOC has changed its focus towards newer trends like NFTs and esports this time. This means that there is no new installment of the iconic series with the 2024 Olympic Games. Fans will no doubt miss the partnership that merged video game culture with Olympic sports.

Fans Will Not See One Olympics Tradition This Time

For almost twenty years, the Nintendo series had been a staple in Olympic-themed video games. It started with the 2007 release for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The series continued through multiple Summer and Winter Games, including London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020. Despite the series’ popularity, the IOC decided not to renew its licensing deal with Nintendo and Sega, which expired in 2020. 

There will be no more Mario & Sonic Olympic games 🎮

The Olympics ditched the partnership in favor of esports and NFTs

(via @eurogamer) pic.twitter.com/IaeMbVbPtO

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) July 30, 2024

According to Lee Cocker who spoke to Eurogamer, the IOC wanted to explore new avenues to increase their revenue. Crocker is a producer who worked on almost all the entries in the series. He noted that the IOC wanted to internalize the licensing and explore other opportunities, such as NFTs and esports, which they believed could be more lucrative. 

As a result, the official video game for the 2024 Olympic Games, Olympics Go!, has been developed by nWay, a company known for mobile games like Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid.

Unlike the last series, which was available on Nintendo platforms, this new game is a free-to-play mobile game also available on PC via the Epic Games Store. The game includes 12 sports mini-games such as archery, gymnastics, and swimming, and it features basic visuals and touch controls.

Are There Any Positives To Be Found From This Decision?

One of the notable features of Olympics Go! Paris 2024 is its integration of NFTs. The game offers players the opportunity to collect officially licensed, commemorative Paris 2024 NFT Digital Pins. These digital collectibles can be gotten through Magic Eden’s NFT marketplace as part of Coinbase’s Onchain Summer event.

Esports is another area where the IOC is expanding its presence. While esports has been on the IOC’s radar for several years, with discussions and summits taking place as early as 2017, the organization has now committed to integrating them more fully into the Olympic framework. 

The first medal event for virtual sports, the Olympic Virtual Series, took place in 2021, featuring games like baseball and motorsports. The upcoming Olympic Esports Games, scheduled for 2025 and hosted by Saudi Arabia, will further solidify the presence of competitive gaming within the Olympic context.

What do you think the IOC has in plan for the future? Let us know in the comments!