Today, Ubisoft announced a first-of-its-kind cooperation with the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) to bring Just Dance® 2023 Edition to the Olympic Esports Series. As a true celebration of the game’s competitive legacy, participants for the 2023 edition of the Olympic Esports Series will be selected from the talented pool of former Just Dance World Cup top athletes. Selected players will receive a direct invitation to compete for the chance of becoming an Olympic Esports Series winner at the live finals in Singapore from June 22 to 25. More details about the competition and participants will be shared in the coming months.
“Just Dance has one of the most enthusiastic, bright, and dedicated communities in the world and we’re excited to see our players shine and compete this summer in Singapore to become the first ever Olympic Esports Series winner in the Dance category,” says Zeynep Gençağa, Senior Director, Head of Regions, of Esports and Competitive Gaming at Ubisoft. “With a track record of several editions of the Just Dance World Cup, our franchise has proved its potential for thrilling competitiveness and entertainment. Today, we’re humbled to bring back Just Dance to its competitive roots in such a high fashion by teaming up with the World DanceSport Federation for the Olympic Esports Series 2023.”
“The WDSF is excited to cooperate with Ubisoft and share the joy of DanceSport with new generations through the popular Just Dance franchise,” said WDSF President Shawn Tay. “With DanceSport growing in popularity around the world, it was a logical next step for us to enter into the virtual realm. The 2023 Olympic Esports Series will now showcase this terrific fusion of our two worlds and we cannot wait to see the best of the Just Dance community compete this summer in Singapore.”
David Lappartient, Chair of the IOC Esports Liaison Group, said: “The Olympic Movement brings people together in peaceful competition. The Olympic Esports Series 2023 is a continuation of that, with the ambition of creating more spaces to play for both players and fans of elite competition. We look forward to witnessing some of the world’s best compete on the global stage, as well as exploring together shared opportunities and lessons - across health and well-being, training and innovation.”
The Olympic Esports Series 2023 is a global virtual and simulated sports competition created by the IOC and in collaboration with International Federations (IFs) and game publishers. The Olympic Esports Series 2023 will culminate in live, in-person finals for the first time, taking place at Singapore’s Suntec Centre from 22 to 25 June. The finals action will be a highlight of the recently announced Olympic Esports Week 2023.
