Konami Digital Entertainment Partners with the World Baseball Softball Confederation to Offer Innovative Virtual Event

Konami Digital Entertainment has reported that WBSC was selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to be among the founding members of the OVS, the IOC's first Olympic-licensed world virtual sports competition.

Hideki Hayakawa, President at Konami Digital Entertainment, highlighted the importance of contributing to the promotion of virtual sports and thanked the IOC President for the opportunity.

Riccardo Fraccari, president of the WBSC, highlights the presence of baseball in video games throughout history and says: “It's a great honor for baseball and the WBSC to be amongst the founding members of this innovative and exciting new chapter in Olympic history, and that's why it was important for WBSC to partner with one of the leading gaming publishers in the world, KONAMI”.

While, Thomas Bach, president of the IOC, referring to the Virtual Olympic Series says that it is “a new, unique Olympic digital experience that aims to grow direct engagement with new audiences in the field of virtual sports. Its conception is in line with Olympic Agenda 2020 + 5 and the IOC’s digital strategy. It encourages sports participation and promotes the Olympic values with a special focus on youth”.

Olympic Virtual Series will begin on May 13, and the finals are scheduled for June 23, the annual Olympic Day. The online qualifier for the baseball event will take place May 24-30.

It should be remembered that in December 2020 the WBSC approved eSports as a baseball and softball discipline, setting the stage for future official international eBaseball and eSoftball competitions such as the Olympic Virtual Series and World Cups.

Tournament itinerary:
Online Qualifiers Period: Monday, May 24, 2021 (10:00) - Sunday, May 30, 2021 (23:59)
Final Round Schedule: Wednesday, June 23, 2021