When Esports | A Game Changer opened at the Résidence Cîteaux in Paris during the 2024 Summer Olympics, it offered an immersive exploration of the meteoric rise of competitive video gaming. There are now an estimated 3.2 billion gamers around the globe and about 600 million are thought to participate in or watch esports – an impact that will be recognised by the inaugural Olympic Esport Games, set to take place in 2027 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Qatar itself has also made bold moves to stake its place in this fast-growing arena. In 2023, the Qatar Esports Federation (QESF) signed a 10-year partnership with the Global Esports Federation, laying the groundwork for professional leagues, talent development and international events.
Qatar was also the driving force behind the Paris exhibition, which was part of a special programme of free exhibitions and events to coincide with the Olympic Games. Now, an updated exhibition has landed at QOSM in Doha, which runs until 30 April 2026. Organised by Qatar Museums and the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum (QOSM), Esports | A Game Changer charts the journey of esports. It covers children playing Space Invaders and Pac-Man in the local arcade through to professional gamers who are thrilling packed arenas and millions of online fans with knock-out tournaments of classics such as Street Fighter II and contemporary blockbuster games such as Fortnite and League of Legends.
This new edition not only celebrates the global story of esports but also shines a spotlight on Qatar’s own rapidly developing gaming scene, nurtured by the QESF since its founding in 2022.
Structured into four themed areas – “What is Esports”, “History of Esports”, “We Are Esports” and “Future of Esports” – the exhibition is part archive, part immersive playground. Over the course of the exhibition, visitors will trace the history of esports and gain insights into the societal, educational, recreational and occupational implications of its rapid rise. There are hands-on gaming stations, interactive kiosks and the chance to pit your skills against other fans.
Curated by Dr Christian Wacker, deputy director curatorial affairs at QOSM, with international collaborators, the exhibition is accompanied by an academic conference on esports, educational workshops for the public and proposals for an esports education curriculum for schools. It's an ambitious undertaking that is testament to the ever-evolving nature of the human competitive spirit – whether in the physical or digital arena.
