GeoGuessr has withdrawn from the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, following community backlash.
The news comes just one week after the popular Geography game announced they would be joining the Esports World Cup.
It was met with backlash among the GeoGuessr community. A group of map creators pulled their contributions from the game to protest its participation.
The Esports World Cup Foundation, the organisers of the event, are backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which has been accused of using sport and esports events to distract from the Kingdom’s human rights record.
The Esports World Cup Festival was set to hold the GeoGuessr Last Chance Wildcard tournament between July 21st and 27th.
It was to feature a $20,000 prize pool with two spots on the line for the GeoGuessr World Championship, which takes place in Copenhagen at the end of August.
GeoGuessr is a website that drops a player in a random location in the world using Google Maps. Competitors need to mark on a global map where they think they started, earning more points the closer they are to the correct location.
GeoGuessr CEO explains decision to withdraw from the Esports World Cup
GeoGuessr CEO and co-founder, Daniel Antell, has explained the decision to withdraw from the Esports World Cup via a post on the game’s official X account.
He wrote: “Hi everyone, I’ve seen your reactions over the past few days regarding our decision to participate in the Esports World Cup in Riyadh.
“When we made that decision, it was with positive intentions. To engage with our community in the Middle East and to spread GeoGuessr’s core mission of letting everyone explore the world.
“Since Erland, Anton, and I founded GeoGuessr in 2013, we’ve always strived to be a community-first game. Everyone here at the Stockholm office is a passionate GeoGuessr fan, doing our best to build something meaningful, with you and for you.
“That said, you – our community – have made it clear that this decision does not align what GeoGuessr stands for. So, when you tell us we’ve got it wrong we take it seriously. That’s why we’ve made the decision to withdraw from participating in the Esports World Cup in Riyadh.
“We will come back with information on how the wildcards will be distributed as soon as possible. Thank you for speaking up and sharing your thoughts.”
As it stands, there has been no official comment from the Esports World Cup on the withdrawal.
Reaction to GeoGuessr announcement
Fans in the GeoGuessr community have welcomed the news.
One fan wrote: “Thank you for listening to the community on this one.”
Another commented: “We all appreciate this so so much. I’m glad you value what the community thinks of your decisions. thank you.”
The decision comes after the GeoGuessr community’s ‘blackout’ with map creators pulling their contributions.
@DiallooTTV wrote: “In less than 24 hours, GeoGuessr has responded to the blackout initiated by the community and it is everything the organisation could have hoped for I think. Hats off to the community for this action and props to GeoGuessr for listening to that same community.”
What is the Esports World Cup 2025?
The Esports World Cup 2025, will run from July 7th to August 24th, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
It will feature 25 tournaments across 24 titles with a record-breaking $70m (£52m) prize pool.
The event will feature some of the biggest titles including League of Legends, DOTA 2, Counter-Strike 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Valorant.
However, the Esports World Cup, will no longer hold GeoGuessr following the announcement by its CEO and co-founder.
