Esports World Cup founder: ‘All welcome’ in Riyadh
This week, the Esports World Cup kicked off in earnest in Riyadh, with the opening ceremony setting the stage for the prestigious, eight-week event. From here, dozens of esports organizations will compete in 21 games to whittle down their $60 million prize pool.
Despite many concerns in the gaming community about the Saudi Arabian setting of the Esports World Cup and the source of money bankrolling the event, a few months before the event, more publishers, organizers and teams got involved. However, speaking honestly, esports World Cup founder Ralf Reichert assured fans that ‘everyone is welcome’ in Saudi Arabia.
‘Everyone can participate’
Speaking to the BBC recently, Ralf Reichert, one of the most prolific promoters of the esports World Cup on social platforms in recent weeks, said:
All are welcome. Everyone can compete and no one is discriminated against. That’s a promise we can make. In every country in the world, there are different local customs and cultural norms that you must adhere to. So what we say to everyone is, don’t be blunt. Act local to respect local culture. And I think that’s fair. This is something that happens all over the world.
With that said, it’s fair to assume that Reichert is implying anyone One may travel to Saudi Arabia to enjoy the festivities, but certain communities should not shout their allegiances from the rooftops. I am definitely referring to those who represent the LGBTQ+ community – which is where the biggest concerns lie with the Esports World Cup taking place in Riyadh.
That hasn’t stopped some organizations from extending their support to the LGBTQ+ community. On the opening day of the event, Team Liquid took the stage wearing Pride-themed jerseys. The company’s CEO, Steve Arhansett, is gay, and He spoke at length with the BBC About the difficulties they faced in deciding whether to attend EWC or not.
The Esports World Cup is the most prestigious event in the history of the industry. It’s bringing together more players and fans than ever before, and almost every competitive title in the business is on display right now. This happens over a period of two months and it leads to some companies making millions of dollars, changing their fortunes forever. With recent deals bringing competition to platforms like DAZN, countless eyes are on the unfolding super-sized showcase.
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