US EditionGeoGuessr Map Creators Protest Saudi-Backed Esports Event With Blackout
- On May 21, numerous creators behind some of GeoGuessr’s most popular maps made their content inaccessible in protest against the game’s planned involvement in the Esports World Cup 2025 set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The protest followed GeoGuessr AB's announcement to host a wildcard tournament at the EWC, which human rights groups and creators describe as a Saudi government sportswashing event that conceals human rights abuses.
- The blackout replaced playable locations with random garbage, blocked maps played tens of millions of times, and included a new in-game challenge called 'How to Run A Dictatorship' outlining alleged Saudi oppression.
- Player Christopher Hancock declined his EWC spot saying he felt uncomfortable due to the event's funding, while GeoGuessr announced on May 22 it would withdraw from the Riyadh event after community backlash.
- This withdrawal exposes tensions between GeoGuessr's community and developers over association with Saudi Arabia and highlights the role of esports events in political and human rights controversies.
19 Articles
19 Articles
GeoGuessr Pulls Out of Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia After Fan and Creator Backlash: 'When You Tell Us We’ve Got It Wrong, We Take It Seriously'
GeoGuessr has withdrawn from the Esports World Cup after players and map creators slammed the team for participating in the event that, controversially, will be hosted by Saudi Arabia later this summer.GeoGuessr is tremendously successful, boasting 85 million users in a geography game that drops players in random places around the world and asks them to work out where they are. There's a whole host of developer and community-made customization o…
GeoGuessr Community Protests Esports World Cup by Disabling Popular Maps
After rising esport title GeoGuessr announced its participation in Saudi Arabia's Esports World Cup, community creators are going rogue and privating the game's major maps in protest. Here's everything we know.
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