Politics in esports: Are we all hypocrites?

There’s a saying that sports (in our case esports) shouldn’t be mixed with politics. After all, it’s what enlightens the day of millions of people around the world and brings them a dose of excitement even in tough times. Besides, many would argue that athletes themselves have nothing to do with politics. And whilst that may be true, esports and politics are, unfortunately, too interconnected to stay separate. 

So with that in mind, here’s some food for thought: Does not mixing the two mean that we’re looking away while people out there are dying and lives are being destroyed? Should we continue accepting the blood money of those who conduct the worst of crimes? But what if standing against it would mean losing much of the current professional esports scene?

Esports and politics

As Monday morning brought a barrage of lethal Russian missile strikes hitting multiple Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, the esports world could, once again, feel the impact of politics. 

Shortly after the attacks, the WePlay Academy League decided to postpone Season 6, which was supposed to start the very same day, in order to ensure employee safety. Meanwhile, Natus Vincere simply asked for the support of their homeland, sparking a moral-based discussion among the esports community. Following NAVI’s Twitter post about support for Ukraine, some came out to say that true support would be not playing in ESL’s tournaments. Why? 

Because ESL is now owned by Savvy Games Group, a holding company backed by the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund, and Saudi Arabia has quite a good diplomatic relationship with Russia. And while there is an important point to be acknowledged within this stance, let’s first take a look at why this is problematic and what some people might not be getting right. 

Check your facts  

Some of the commenters calling NAVI hypocrites for playing in ESL events argued that Saudis support Russia and the war, however, this is not true, at least not officially. While it is obvious to everyone who follows politics at least a little bit that Saudis don’t mind the Russian war in Ukraine, up to this point, no form of support was employed by Saudi officials. 

Indeed, so far Saudi Arabia stayed rather silent regarding the situation and hasn’t supported, nor condemned Putin’s invasion. But everyone knows that silence, be it in person or on the international stage, often speaks for itself. 

A lesson here is to check the facts and don’t spread misinformation. That said, this is not a defense of Saudi Arabia by any means. The country recently strengthened its ties with Russia, as the two governments extended their relationship and established an arrangement to keep the oil prices high, which, of course, benefits both. 

Hypocrisy

Flaming NAVI for playing in ESL events because of the war in Ukraine is hypocritical in itself. Why? Because while there is no apparent support from the Saudi government for the war in Ukraine, the country has its own war in Yemen. A war that’s been ongoing for over six years now, and which dramatically worsened Yemen’s humanitarian situation, creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world with widespread hunger, disease, and attacks on civilians. 

And let’s not forget about Saudi Arabia’s poor track record when it comes to basic human rights, women’s rights, and LGBT rights. No free speech, discrimination, harassment, torture, the death penalty, and mass executions are just a few real threats that people in this country have to face. 

And that’s the real reason why we should not support a Saudi-backed tournament organizer, at least if we want to play the morality card. It’s up to everyone’s moral compass whether they want to work for ESL, or compete in its events and accept their money. But for all esports fans who criticize teams and orgs that do: Are you sure your record is clean? 

Because watching ESL events and even engaging with the organizer on socials brings them money. Yes, by watching that CS:GO match you indirectly supported the Saudi government.  

ESL too important for esports? 

Some could argue that ESL is its own company, with legit esports people as employees who worked there long before the acquisition in early 2022 and that its earnings are going right back to production and growing the scene. And while that may be mostly true, the link with Saudis can’t just be overlooked. 

So if we truly wanted to stay on the right side of morality and step out against violence and evil practices, we would start completely ignoring ESL and its events. But of course, this is not so easy, as ESL is the biggest global esports tournament organizer across multiple titles. Without ESL, much of the current professional scene, along with all the jobs and opportunities, would be gone. 

It’s a utopian scenario that will, in all likelihood, never come to pass. 

Where do you stand? 

So what can we do about it? First of all, everyone should do their research and at least realize that the entertainment that comes with ESL’s (and DreamHack’s and FACEIT’s) esports production is now backed by Saudis and whether we like it or not, we are a part of it. 

Second, let’s admit that we all are hypocrites when it comes to standing up against evil, and ask ourselves whether we only care if it’s happening on our doorsteps. Because if ESL was owned by the Russian government, hardly anyone would want to participate. 

Lastly, it’s up to everyone to decide whether they want to play the morality card or not. It doesn’t make you a bad person if you continue watching ESL events, but don’t go out on socials bawling at how teams are being hypocrites for participating. If you truly want to stay “morally correct”, there are other, much more efficient ways of doing good. 

Header: ESL