The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in particular the IOC's Olympic Movement Anti-Manipulation Unit (OM Unit PMC), will become close allies through a historic agreement they have signed. This joint partnership will enable the exchange of information and practices to prevent misconduct in e-sports and to combat corruption.

The IOC's OM Unit PMC, renowned for its commitment to the protection of sport from corruption, will work closely with ESIC, the global industry body recognised for its standards of integrity in e-sports, in a number of key areas.

Such collaboration will include the exchange of information and knowledge related to the integrity of esports. ESIC will also act as a specialist advisory body to the IOC and the OM Unit PMC, providing guidance on esport-related matters. 

There is no doubt that the significant development that eSports is currently experiencing requires urgent regulation and a monitoring framework. This is because eSports can be easily distorted and manipulated.

The oversight and development body seems to be the key to the development that could lead to this type of sport becoming Olympic.

Friedrich Martens, Head of the OM Unit PMC at the IOC, said, "With numerous International Federations organising esports competitions and the IOC planning to organise such competitions, we need to ensure that we have all the information and intelligence available to guarantee that these competitions are free from manipulation or related offences."

The support of the ESIC is necessary to ensure the integrity and credibility of the Olympic Movement's eSports competitions.
They will always be threatened by manipulation and inappropriate behaviour. However, thanks to these types of agreements, it's clear that the damage is mitigated. The risks are reduced.

Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer of ESIC, said, "This collaboration with the IOC and the OM Unit PMC marks a significant milestone for the global eSports industry and is a testament to the IOC's commitment to the industry in the development of its eSports strategy."

The primary objective of the ESIC is to protect young people, encourage investment in the industry and safeguard the sporting integrity of eSports. Its mission is to ensure fair play and a safe and equitable environment for all participants in the global video game and esports ecosystem by tackling cheating, match-fixing and doping.

intentions are for eSports to eventually have a place in the Olympic Games, even with its own identity, as proposed by IOC President Thomas Bach, is a reality. 2024 could be a key year for the creation of the first Olympic Games for electronic sports.

The IOC's roadmap has long included negotiations between the IOC and various countries. Asia's commitment has already been noted, with several nations interested in hosting future competitions.

Japan and Saudi Arabia have already shown that they want to become a global hub and play a leading role in developing this burgeoning industry. Hosting competitions and ensuring they are transparent and free from any form of manipulation is the goal that will make eSports a safer alternative in the near future.