GeoGuessr Exits Saudi Esports World Cup Amid Criticism

GeoGuessr has withdrawn from the Esports World Cup following intense criticism from players and map creators regarding Saudi Arabia's controversial human rights record. The location-based game developer faced backlash for participating in the Riyadh-hosted tournament scheduled for this summer.

With 85 million users, GeoGuessr immerses players in random global locations challenging them to pinpoint their whereabouts. The platform offers extensive customization through developer and community-created content, including specialized maps that can restrict spawns to specific regions, toggle movement capabilities, and create various gameplay modes. These features have solidified GeoGuessr's position in competitive esports.

On May 22, prominent map creator Zemmip organized a community "blackout"—disabling access to many popular competitive maps—as protest against GeoGuessr's involvement with the Saudi event. Their statement posted on GeoGuessr's subreddit condemned Saudi Arabia's documented human rights violations against marginalized groups including women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and migrant workers.

The blackout rendered unavailable "a supermajority of competitively relevant world maps" until GeoGuessr canceled its Saudi tournament plans. "You don't play games with human rights," organizers emphasized.

After widespread confusion among players encountering the disabled maps, GeoGuessr CEO Daniel Antell issued a statement confirming withdrawal from the event. Acknowledging community feedback revealed a misalignment with company values, Antell emphasized GeoGuessr's commitment to its player base since its 2013 founding.

The community celebrated this reversal on Reddit, with top responses referencing the game's perfect "5K" scoring while praising collective action's effectiveness.

Despite GeoGuessr's withdrawal, major titles including Dota 2, Valorant, and Call of Duty remain scheduled for the July tournament.

This controversy follows GeoGuessr's troubled Steam launch last week, where initial missing features like solo play caused backlash—though its review status has since improved from second-worst to seventh-worst-rated Steam game. Players criticized the PC version's limitations compared to browser play, including bot-filled amateur matches and non-transferable premium features.

IGN has reached out to Esports World Cup organizers for comment.