The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that two esports titles — Valorant and League of Legends — will crown official medal events at the 2026 Los Angeles Games, marking the first time competitive gaming results have counted toward an Olympic medal tally. The finals will take place at the LA Convention Center during the second week of the Games.
How It Was Structured
Each title will field 16 national teams, selected through regional qualifiers run over the next 12 months. Players will compete under national flags rather than club or sponsor affiliations. The IOC will award gold, silver, and bronze medals, with the same ceremony and anthem protocol as traditional sports. Roster sizes are limited to five starters and two substitutes per nation.
"We have been clear that esports is a sporting discipline. Treating it as such inside the Olympic program is the natural next step," said IOC president Thomas Bach.
The Selection
Valorant and League were selected from a shortlist of six titles based on three criteria: global player base, competitive integrity, and gender parity. Valorant cleared the gender threshold through its Game Changers pathway. League qualified on the strength of a decade of professional competition and a stable competitive circuit. Counter-Strike, Dota 2, Overwatch, and PUBG were passed over for now.
- Games included: Valorant, League of Legends
- Teams per game: 16 nations
- Medal events: 2 (1 per game)
- Venue: LA Convention Center
Industry Reaction
The announcement has been broadly welcomed by publishers and players. Riot Games, which operates both titles in part, said it would not alter its competitive circuits to accommodate the Games and would instead use the existing regional leagues to qualify national rosters. The esports community has long argued for recognition, but traditional sports federations have been slower to accept the premise.
The LA 2026 experiment will determine whether esports returns for Brisbane 2032 and beyond, or remains a one-Games novelty. The IOC has emphasized that medals will not be subject to the same World Anti-Doping Agency protocols as traditional sports, given the absence of equivalent performance-enhancing substances.
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