The 2024 eSports World Cup is just weeks away, and the whole of esports is gearing up for it. Separate events from the usual esports events have been springing up, and this time, it is Overwatch that is setting up a big tournament.
It is a tournament that won’t be part of its normal OWCS event but instead a big event at the eSports World Cup 2024. Despite being a part of the expansion to the EWC landscape, the excitement towards the event isn’t one hundred positive.
Perhaps that’s why one player has opted out of participation in the Overwatch tournament at the eSports World Cup. Masaa has given moral reasons as part of the reasons why he will not be playing in the tournament.
Overwatch is definitely one of the many games and events scheduled for the World Cup, but Masaa isn’t bothered about the glory that may lie ahead. Instead, the player has cited moral reasons linked to his decision.
While making a recent video stream, the player showed his concerns about the event and how some human rights issues linked to Saudi Arabia may be a huge barrier to his participation. He specifically mentioned the LGBT rights issues amongst some moral arguments in Saudi Arabia as reasons for his decision to opt out.
However, critics believe that it will be difficult to avoid Saudi Arabia as an eSports player in the coming years, especially as, in recent years, Saudi Arabia has become increasingly involved with esports.
For example, FACEIT, the body that runs the main Overwatch competitive league, the OWCS, is owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. Interestingly, Masaa participated in a recent OWCS event organized by FACEIT at the DreamHack event.
Meanwhile, Top Esports secured their place at the grand finals of the eSports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia after defeating G2 eSports 2-0 on Saturday.
