League's Top Streamer Completes Esports World Cup, Igniting Debate

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Esports World Cup Controversy

The second annual Esports World Cup (EWC) is currently taking place and has sparked debate in the esports community. This event is funded by Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund (PIF), which has raised concerns about sportswashing, a strategy where sports events are used to improve a country’s image.

Saudi Arabia has a history of human rights violations. In 2022, the nation executed over 190 people, including 81 in one day, according to Human Rights Watch. Being LGBTQ+ is illegal and can lead to the death penalty, as reported by Human Dignity Trust.

Women in Saudi Arabia must have a male guardian for almost all activities, including getting jobs, traveling, and even medical procedures. Individuals protesting this system have been detained and subjected to torture, including electrocution and sexual assault, according to Amnesty International.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was found to have ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, as stated in an investigation by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (The Washington Post).

Many other human rights abuses are documented in Saudi Arabia.

The League of Legends part of the EWC will start on July 16. Notable streamer Christian “IWDominate” Rivera announced that he will not co-stream the event, even though he was offered a significant sum of money for it.

Rivera stated, “I will not be co-streaming EWC. I was offered an ungodly amount of money (more than three times what I make in a month on stream) for five days, but I didn’t feel right taking the offer.” He added that while he understands others might accept such offers due to financial pressures, he prefers to skip the event and resume streaming when the League of Legends Pro League returns in six days.

In contrast, popular streamer Marc Robert “Caedrel” Lamont plans to stream the event, leading to mixed reactions from his followers. A community centered on Lamont, known as Pedro’s Peepos, is actively discussing his decision to co-stream.

Lamont claims his stream is neutral regarding politics, but some fans criticize this view, arguing that ignoring the political issues surrounding the event is a political stance itself (source).

Meanwhile, Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends, allowed the EWC to sponsor this year’s Mid-Season Invitational and has paused its competitive schedule for the past two years to let top teams compete in the event.

This isn’t the first time Riot faced backlash over Saudi sponsorship. In 2020, the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) tried to secure a sponsorship with Neom, a planned city in Saudi Arabia, but withdrew after on-air talent protested the deal.

Saudi Arabia continues to invest heavily in esports, funding both the Esports World Cup and various teams under the Team Falcons name across different game titles.