French President Macron wants to host LoL Worlds & CSGO Majors if re-elected

In an interview with TheBigWhale, a French cryptocurrency and Web3 newsletter, French president Emmanuel Macron explained how esports and gaming were an “important component of French soft cultural power” that he vowed to uphold if reelected. He also cited Karmine Corp and Team Vitality of two pillars of “French excellence” in the esports sector. 

As the esports industry continues to grow, we are seeing more and more collaboration between esports and the wider sectors of entertainment, sports, and politics. This year, esports will appear as an official accredited sport in the Asia Games for the first time in history, encompassing multiple games including PUBG, DOTA 2, and League of Legends.

But not only in Asia is the global impact of esports being felt. In a recent interview with Web3 newsletter TheBigWhale, French president Emmanuel Macron discussed the importance of esports in his re-election campaign, and promised to increase the presence of esports events in France if re-elected.

France’s presidential election will take place on April 24, with Macron and National Rally candidate Marine Le Pen currently vying as the two main candidates.

The importance of esports

Macron’s discussion with TheBigWhale was focused heavily on the importance of technology as a cultural export for France – with video games being essential to the continuation of “French soft cultural power” in Europe and beyond.

• Read more: First Asian Games featuring esports potentially postponed to 2023

One point that Macron emphasized during the interview was the importance of promoting France as “THE country for video games.” He cited the success of French gaming studios such as Quantic Dream and Ubisoft as cornerstones of France’s presence in the gaming space.

He also brought attention to the esports sector, citing French giants Karmine Corp and Team Vitality as organizations that displayed “French excellence” through their success in games like League of Legends and CS:GO.

Both teams recently saw a huge level of investment in their League of Legends rosters, with Team Vitality building an ‘EU superteam’ and Karmine Corp signing European legend Martin ‘Rekkles’ Larssen at the start of 2022.

Hosting international tournaments

Macron also highlighted the importance of making France a cultural destination for esports fans. The country is set to host the 2024 Olympic Games, with Macron expressing a desire to “establish a link between the two worlds’ Olympiads” by bringing international esports tournaments to Europe.

• Read more: Vitality’s CSGO team makes the Antwerp Major, but barely

He cited the League of Legends World Championship, Dota 2’s The International, and CS:GO Major tournaments as events that France would look to host if he was re-elected, stating that “if the French trust me, we will work on it as soon as I am elected. This is what France’s influence is all about.”