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The International Olympics Committee walked away from its partnership with Nintendo and Sega for the long-running Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series in order to explore deals with new partners, NFTs and esports, Eurogamer understands.
As the real-life Olympics gets underway in Paris, there’s been discussion online of there being no new Mario & Sonic tie-in for this summer’s Games, for the first time in almost two decades.
Speaking with Eurogamer, a veteran behind the series has now said the decision to end the popular Mario & Sonic franchise rested with the IOC, which chose not to renew its licensing deal with Nintendo and Sega, and allowed it to lapse in 2020.
