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Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games reportedly abandoned for NFTs & esports

According to a veteran dev, the International Olympics Committee abandoned the partnership with Nintendo and Sega to explore other ways to bring in more money.

TJ Denzer

July 30, 2024 10:40 AM

Image via Sega

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For around two decades, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games had been a reliable companion to the actual Olympics, but it seems the 2020 Tokyo Olympics edition is the last we’ll see for the foreseeable future. According to veteran developers familiar with the situation, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose not to renew the partnership with Nintendo and Sega for another game, instead opting to chase after NFT and esports focused ventures aimed at bringing more money to the event.

This information comes from developer and producer Lee Cocker, who spoke to Eurogamer on the matter. According to Cocker, who helped the licensing on the Olympic side for the Mario & Sonic Olympic video games and other games based on the event, the IOC saw opportunities elsewhere and went after them in lieu of another Mario & Sonic game.

It’s a shame to say the least. The Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games titles were surprisingly fun affairs that offered all sorts of Olympic themed minigames for players to explore with their favorite characters from Nintendo and Sega’s respective IPs. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 wasn’t just good. It won our Shacknews Best Sports Game of 2019 for how fun it was. The Olympic Games aren’t without video game representation but, as Cocker said, the IOC has explored adding esports to the Olympics for a few years now.

Unfortunately, it seems that means leaving Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games by the wayside. It remains to be seen if it will ever come back, but for now, the series is on ice.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.