GeoGuessr Withdraws from Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia Amid Backlash

GeoGuessr has withdrawn from the Esports World Cup following significant backlash from players and map creators over the event's hosting in Saudi Arabia this summer. GeoGuessr, a popular geography game with 85 million users, places players in random locations worldwide, challenging them to identify their whereabouts. The game offers extensive customization options, including community-made maps, settings for urban or rural spawns, geographical restrictions, and movement controls such as NMPZ (no move, pan, or zoom), making it a beloved esports title.

On May 22, Zemmip, representing creators of many of GeoGuessr's top maps, initiated a "blackout" in protest of the company's decision to participate in the Esports World Cup in Riyadh. Zemmip highlighted Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses against various groups, including women, the LGBTQ community, apostates, atheists, political dissenters, migrant workers, and religious minorities. The statement on the GeoGuessr subreddit accused GeoGuessr of contributing to sportswashing by participating in the event, which aims to distract from these human rights violations.

The blackout involved numerous creators and their maps, including the majority of the most popular competitive world maps. It was set to continue until GeoGuessr canceled its wildcard event in Saudi Arabia and committed to avoiding events there during the country's ongoing oppressive regime. The statement concluded with a strong message: "You don't play games with human rights."

GeoGuessr has pulled out of the Esports World Cup after a backlash. After fans expressed confusion on the subreddit and social media about the blacked-out maps, GeoGuessr issued a statement on May 22, announcing its withdrawal from the event. CEO and co-founder Daniel Antell acknowledged the community's reaction and explained that the initial decision to participate was made with the intention of engaging with the Middle Eastern community and promoting GeoGuessr's mission of exploring the world. He emphasized the company's commitment to its community, stating, "That said, you — our community — have made it clear that this decision does not align with what GeoGuessr stands for. So, when you tell us we’ve got it wrong, we take it seriously."

Antell confirmed the withdrawal from the Esports World Cup and promised to provide details on the distribution of wildcards soon, thanking the community for their feedback. The top reply on the GeoGuessr subreddit praised the community's efforts, likening their success to achieving a perfect 5K score in the game. Another user celebrated the community's unity and determination in achieving their goal.

IGN has reached out to the Esports World Cup for a comment. Despite GeoGuessr's withdrawal, numerous other games and publishers, including Dota 2, Valorant, Apex Legends, League of Legends, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Rainbow Six Siege, among others, are still set to participate in the event in July.

GeoGuessr recently launched on Steam, initially receiving the second-worst rating of all time, though it has since moved to the seventh-worst. Fans criticized the lack of features in the supposedly free-to-play version, including the inability to play solo, the presence of bots in amateur mode, and the fact that paid unlocks on the browser version do not transfer to Steam.