The International eGames Committee (IEGC) has announced the Olympics-style eGames event – backed by the UK Government – will be taking place on August 15th and 16th.
The two-day pop up event (which isn’t officially part of the Olympic Games) will be held at British House at Parque Lage in Rio, Brazil.
The showcase event will be broadcast to eSports fans globally and also mainstream audiences. Britain, Brazil, USA and Canada will be competing for medals and national pride rather than prize money.
The actual games involved are set to be announced soon.
“British House is the UK’s home away from home at Rio 2016, and we are delighted to be hosting the inaugural eGames as one of our exciting events,” stated Conrad Bird, director of the GREAT Britain Campaign.
Culture Minister Ed Vaizey added: “The UK’s video game industry is world class, a result of the incredible pool of talent and innovation that exists within the sector.
“I’m delighted that the eGames event will be held at British House at a time when the world’s eyes will be turning to Rio, and wish all the competitors the best of luck.”
Situated at the foot of the iconic Corcovado, home to the Christ the Redeemer statue, Parque Lage was built in the 19th century and remodelled by the Brazilian entrepreneur Enrique Lage in the 1920s. The gardens still retain some of their original design by British landscaping artist John Tyndale.
“We are honoured to have been invited by the UK Government to be in the British House to show the eGames to the world,” commented Wim Stocks, COO at the International eGames Group. “The venue is truly special and completely unique, the same qualities of which will be emulated in the eGames.”
The initial eGames announcement was made last month.
Last week the IEGC announced its advisory board of games experts.
Here’s a picture of the eGames venue – British House in Rio:
Christ the Redeemer image source: Wikipedia
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
