LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — Rocket League is the “perfect” game for Olympic esports inclusion, according to game director Scott Rudi.
“Honestly, I think we’d be perfect for it. I hope the opportunity arises,” he told The Daily Walkthrough during 2018’s Electronic Entertainment Expo.
The Paris 2024 bid team is pushing for esports to be included and is in talks with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC officially recognized esports as sports in November 2017. The 2022 Asian Games are already set to host events for League of Legends and other video games.
A major sticking point, though, is IOC’s stance on violence: “The red line would be eGames which are killer games, where you have the promotion of violence or any kind of discrimination as a content. They can never be recognised as a part of the Olympic movement because they would be contrary to our values and principles,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in April 2018.
That’s where Rocket League comes in, Rudi said. It has just enough of the fantastical aspects like flying cars and explosions while being based around soccer, a sport most people know or can easily pick up on.
“The accessibility is there. Most people know the basics of soccer. Most people know cars,” Rudi told TheDW. “Yes, rockets are kind of a different thing, but people can watch it for a few minutes and understand what’s going on.”
It’s also doesn’t promote violence or discrimination, which Rudi agreed puts Rocket League in a unique position for Olympic eligibility.
“If they [IOC] called us we’d definitely pick up the phone. It’d be an honor, honestly. I love the Olympics. It’s a great way for the whole world to come together and do honesty competition without the violence and all that stuff. I think Rocket League is tailor-made for that.”
Katie Frates is the editor-in-chief of The Daily Walkthrough. Follow Katie on Twitter and Facebook, and signup for The Daily Walkthrough for the latest on gaming and esports.