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- Neom smart city bidding to become esports hub
- LEC fans criticise deal over Saudi Arabia’s anti-LGBT stance
- CS:GO Blast Premier still has a partnership with Neom
Esports’ League of Legends European Championship (LEC) has ended its partnership with Neom, a Saudi Arabian smart city planned for completion in 2025, less than a day after announcing the deal.
Neom was set to be the main partner from week seven of the LEC summer season, alongside the likes of Alienware, Kia and KitKat. However, the tie-up drew considerable backlash over Saudi Arabia’s anti-LGBT laws, with many fans stating they would boycott the league. People also drew attention to the LEC currently using a rainbow version of its logo on its broadcasts and social handles in support of German Pride.
The LEC, which is developed by Riot Games, has now acted swiftly to address the concerns, releasing a statement confirming the partnership has been terminated.
‘As a company and as a league, we know that it’s important to recognise when we make mistakes and quickly work to correct them,' said said Alberto Guerrero, director of esports, EMEA, at Riot Games. 'After further reflection, while we remain steadfastly committed to all of our players and fans worldwide including those living in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, the LEC has ended its partnership with Neom, effective immediately.
‘In an effort to expand our esports ecosystem, we moved too quickly to cement this partnership and caused rifts in the very community we seek to grow. While we missed our own expectations in this instance, we’re committed to re-examining our internal structures to ensure this doesn't happen again.’
Saudi Arabia is looking to shape Neom as an esports hub in a bid to capitalise on competitive gaming’s growing popularity, while also incorporating smart city technologies and serving as a tourist destination.
On the same day that the LEC had initially announced its Saudi deal, on 28th July, Neom struck a partnership with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s (CS:GO) pro league Blast Premier. At the time of writing, the tournament has not released a further update on the collaboration.
Esports’ League of Legends European Championship (LEC) has ended its partnership with Neom, a Saudi Arabian smart city planned for completion in 2025, less than a day after announcing the deal.
Neom was set to be the main partner from week seven of the LEC summer season, alongside the likes of Alienware, Kia, and KitKat. However, the tie-up drew considerable backlash over Saudi Arabia’s anti-LGBT laws, with many fans stating they would boycott the league. People also drew attention to the LEC currently using a rainbow version of its logo on its broadcasts and social handles in support of German Pride.
The LEC, which is developed by Riot Games, has now acted swiftly to address the concerns, releasing a statement confirming the partnership had been terminated.
‘As a company and as a league, we know that it’s important to recognise when we make mistakes and quickly work to correct them. After further reflection, while we remain steadfastly committed to all of our players and fans worldwide including those living in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, the LEC has ended its partnership with Neom, effective immediately,’ said Alberto Guerrero, director of esports, EMEA, at Riot Games.
‘In an effort to expand our esports ecosystem, we moved too quickly to cement this partnership and caused rifts in the very community we seek to grow. While we missed our own expectations in this instance, we’re committed to re-examining our internal structures to ensure this doesn't happen again.’
Saudi Arabia is looking to shape Neom as an esports hub in a bid to capitalise on competitive gaming’s growing popularity, while also incorporating smart city technologies and serving as a tourist destination.
On the same day that the LEC had initially announced its Saudi deal, 28th July, Neom struck a partnership with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s (CS:GO) pro league Blast Premier. At the time of writing, the tournament had not released a further update on the collaboration.
