Sideshow VALORANT: Saudi Arabia is poisoning esports: We SHOULD Care.

Saudi Arabia is aggressively investing in the esports and broader entertainment industries, including venture capital in the US, aiming to have a stake in multiple sectors. Notably, they acquired ESL, a major esports organizer, for $1.5 billion.

Their investments extend to minority stakes in Nintendo, Take-Two, EA, and Activision Blizzard, with over $1.13 billion reserved for future game publisher acquisitions. They also hosted Gamers8 in Riyadh, a $45 million prize pool tournament, positioning Riyadh as a hub for major esports events.

While Saudi's ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), is an avid gamer, concerns arise because these investments come directly from the Saudi royal family's Public Investment Fund, intertwining state power with esports and entertainment.

Saudi Arabia's governance is a tightly interwoven system where the royal family controls politics, sports bodies, and investments, making it impossible for these entities to act independently or prioritize esports integrity over state interests.

This direct state involvement raises ethical issues, as the same regime investing in esports is responsible for severe human rights abuses, including capital punishment increases, suppression of dissent, and systemic exploitation of migrant workers.

Saudi's sports investments serve as a tool for sportswashing—using popular events like F1, WWE, UFC, and esports to improve the country's global image and distract from ongoing abuses, effectively buying complicity and silence.

Human rights violations include mass executions, suppression of women's rights activists, forced labor under the Kafala system, and systematic killings of Ethiopian migrants at the Yemen border—actions that amount to crimes against humanity.

Examples include the $25 million contract with soccer star Lionel Messi, requiring him to promote Saudi Arabia positively and avoid criticism, illustrating how the regime buys influence and controls narratives.

Women in Saudi Arabia face severe restrictions despite some reforms like driving rights; the male guardianship system controls travel, healthcare, and even release from prison, with harsh punishments for disobedience, reflecting ongoing oppression.

The esports and sports worlds are deeply entangled with the Saudi state, making it difficult to separate entertainment from political agendas. Activists urge those accepting Saudi money to use their platforms to raise awareness of these abuses.

Historical lessons from apartheid South Africa show that coordinated boycotts and activism in sports can pressure regimes to change. However, Saudi Arabia's vast wealth makes such boycotts challenging but crucial to counter sportswashing effectively.

Boycotts and public pressure remain among the few effective tools to challenge Saudi Arabia's use of esports and sports for reputation laundering. Consumers and organizations must weigh ethical considerations and vote with their wallets.

For deeper insights, esports journalist Richard Lewis offers detailed coverage of Saudi Arabia's investments and their implications. Awareness and informed discussion are key to resisting the normalization of sportswashing by oppressive regimes.