Under the leadership of President Kirsty Coventry, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) appears to be moving toward curbing expansion, casting further doubt on the prospects of esports becoming an official Olympic sport.

Japan's Kyodo News reported on the 3rd, citing internal sources, that IOC President Coventry sent a letter to members of the Esports Commission in January expressing the need to re-evaluate the approach to esports. The letter reportedly emphasized the need for an integrated approach aligned with the broader Olympic strategy. Kyodo News added that IOC members interpret the letter as a signal that the commission's activities have effectively come to an end.

This move is seen as a continuation of the trend toward scaling back esports initiatives since the start of the Coventry administration. Coventry, who took office in June 2025, terminated the Olympic esports partnership with Saudi Arabia in early 2026, just 15 months after it was established. The partnership, originally intended to last 12 years, was scrapped, and the Olympic Esports Games scheduled for 2027 were canceled.

Coventry, widely considered Zimbabwe's greatest Olympian, has pursued a management style that contrasts with the aggressive digital expansion of her predecessor, Thomas Bach. She has prioritized athlete rights and taken positions that conflict with previous inclusivity policies, such as banning transgender women from competing in women's categories. In particular, she has adopted a pragmatic, cost-efficiency-first approach that seeks to limit the expansion of new sports.

While the IOC has not officially announced a complete cessation of the Esports Commission or related discussions, the organization has taken a conservative stance on expanding the Olympic program under Coventry. Given the termination of the collaboration with Saudi Arabia, the path to esports becoming an official Olympic sport appears blocked for the foreseeable future.

Even during the Bach era, the IOC faced criticism regarding its approach to esports. Despite clear potential for attracting younger generations and expanding the global viewership, popular games were never integrated into the Olympic program. Furthermore, there has been persistent criticism regarding the lack of a single international governing body for esports and the announcement of partnerships and tournament schedules without sufficiently concrete plans.

Meanwhile, independent of the IOC, the Asian Games will continue to feature esports as official medal events at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with titles including League of Legends, PUBG Mobile, and Gran Turismo 7.