GeoGuessr Withdraws from Saudi Esports Event After Backlash

GeoGuessr has withdrawn from the Esports World Cup following backlash from its player base and map creators, who criticized the company's decision to take part in the controversial event being hosted by Saudi Arabia later this summer.

GeoGuessr is an immensely popular geography game with 85 million users, where players are placed in random global locations and must identify their whereabouts. The game offers extensive developer and community-driven customization, allowing players to choose opponents, select maps, specify urban or rural settings, limit locations to certain regions, and adjust movement, panning, and zooming options—including the popular "No Moving, Panning, or Zooming" (NMPZ) mode. It also features a wide variety of high-quality community-made maps and has long been a staple in the esports scene.

However, on May 22, a creator known as Zemmip—speaking on behalf of "a significant portion of GeoGuessr’s top map creators"—initiated a "blackout," rendering numerous maps unplayable to protest the "company's choice to host a World Championship wildcard tournament at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh."

"The Saudi government systematically targets women, LGBTQ individuals, apostates, atheists, political dissidents, migrant workers under the Kafala system, religious minorities, and others," Zemmip stated on the GeoGuessr subreddit. "The oppression faced by these groups is widespread and severe. They routinely endure discrimination, imprisonment, torture, and even public execution. These human rights abuses are thoroughly documented and undeniable.

"By taking part in the EWC, GeoGuessr is supporting Saudi Arabia’s sportswashing efforts, which aim to divert attention from its human rights record," the statement continued.

The blackout involved dozens of creators and their maps, "including the vast majority of popular competitive world maps." Organizers announced that the protest would continue until "GeoGuessr cancels its Saudi Arabian wildcard event and pledges not to host events there as long as the country’s oppressive policies persist."

"Human rights are not a game," the statement concluded.

After numerous posts appeared on the subreddit and social media from confused players asking why their maps were unavailable, GeoGuessr issued a statement early on May 22, announcing that it had listened to community feedback and decided to withdraw from the tournament.

"We will not be participating in the EWC," read the statement from CEO and co-founder Daniel Antell. "Over the past few days, I've seen your reactions to our initial decision to join the Esports World Cup in Riyadh.

"Our original intention was positive: to connect with our Middle Eastern community and further GeoGuessr’s mission to help everyone Explore the World. Since Erland, Anton, and I launched GeoGuessr in 2013, we’ve always aimed to put our community first. Everyone in our Stockholm office is a dedicated GeoGuessr fan, working hard to build something meaningful—with you and for you.

"That said, you—our community—have made it clear that this decision conflicts with GeoGuessr’s values," the statement went on. "When you tell us we got it wrong, we listen. That’s why we’ve decided to pull out of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh. We will share updates on how the wildcard qualifications will be handled as soon as possible. Thank you for speaking up and sharing your views."

The top comment on the GeoGuessr subreddit currently says: "Now that's a perfect 5K"—referring to the highest possible score for pinpointing an exact location in the game.

"The community united, stood up for what they believed in, and made it happen," added another user.

IGN has reached out to the Esports World Cup for a statement.

Despite GeoGuessr's withdrawal, many other games and publishers are still scheduled to participate in the July event, including Dota 2, Valorant, Apex Legends, League of Legends, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Rainbow Six Siege, and numerous others.

GeoGuessr launched on Steam last week, initially debuting as the second-worst-rated game of all time (though it has since improved to become the seventh-worst-rated on the platform). Players expressed frustration over missing features in the ostensibly free-to-play title, such as the inability to play solo—even for practice. The free amateur mode appears to be populated largely by bots rather than real players. Perhaps most surprisingly, even if players pay to unlock features in the browser version, these do not transfer to Steam.