The beloved Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series, which has brought the fun of the Olympics to video game consoles for years, might be finished after the Paris 2024 games. This news comes from Lee Cocker, a former executive producer who worked on the series. He revealed that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided not to renew the licensing deal for the franchise, opting instead to pursue new opportunities with NFTs and esports.
According to Cocker, the IOC wanted to manage the Olympic brand’s digital presence more directly and capitalize on the growing popularity of NFTs and esports. This strategy has already come to fruition with the IOC launching official NFTs featuring Olympic memorabilia and establishing the Olympic Esports Games, which are set to debut in Saudi Arabia in 2025.
While the IOC has embraced these new digital endeavors, it hasn’t completely abandoned traditional video games. They recently released the free-to-play Olympics Go! Paris 2024, featuring 12 Olympic sports, and previously released Olympic Games Jam: Beijing 2022, both of which featured NFT elements.
The Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series, which began with the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, has consistently delivered fun, family-friendly party games featuring iconic characters from both the Mario and Sonic universes. The games have captured the spirit of the Olympics with creative minigames based on various Olympic sports, attracting fans of all ages.
While the future of the franchise remains uncertain, the decision by the IOC to prioritize NFTs and esports seems to signal the end of an era for Mario & Sonic’s Olympic adventures. Fans will have to wait and see if these beloved characters will ever return to the digital Games again.
