Esports World Cup controversy reignites in ALGS

The Apex Legends Global Series Midseason Playoffs has re-sparked Esports World Cup controversy after a pro player withdrew from participation due to the event’s location. 

EA decided to integrate the Midseason Playoffs LAN into the Esports World Cup itself. This means that players are forced to participate in the Saudi Arabian tournament 

Hambino raises Esports World Cup controversy while dropping out of Midseason Playoffs

Less than twelve hours after qualifying for the ALGS Midseason Playoffs, Team Orchids’ Hambino announced that they will not attend. 

They directly cited Saudi Arabia’s approach towards the LGBTQ+ community as the reason for their decision. 

I will not be attending EWC. I do not feel comfortable playing in a country that has laws allowing for queer people to be murdered. I asked EA if an emergency sub would be permitted as I would fear for my life, and they denied it. We were forced to find a replacement last week.

— Hambino🏳️‍🌈 (@HambinOwO) June 16, 2025

Saudi Arabia criminalises homosexuality, criminalises the gender expression of transgender people, and upholds capital punishment.  

Esports News UK reached out to Hambino for further comment on their decision. 

“It is illegal to be queer under Sharia law in Saudi Arabia. I very recently came out as trans, and I personally would not feel safe being in an environment surrounded by people in a country where they could legally murder someone like me. Queer people have supported me my whole life, and I want to stand with them whenever I can. Im hoping by making these statements, anyone in charge of ALGS, or even my fellow pro players, will see them and stand with me in solidarity.” 

Their decision not to compete in the Midseason Playoffs at the Esports World Cup comes at a tremendous personal cost. It prevents them from accumulating vital Championship Points during the tournament. 

“It feels awful. Im playing the best Apex I’ve played in my entire life, this is the first season I ever qualified for two LANs and I wont even get to play in one of them. There is a strong chance we DONT make Champs now because of EA’s decision to host EWC on the ALGS circuit.”

Controversy over participation in the Esports World Cup extends beyond Apex Legends. Concerns similar to those raised by Hambino have been discussed in other esports scenes. 

Geoguessr decided to withdraw entirely from participating as an esport in the competition. This came after significant community backlash. 

We will not participate in the EWC.

Message from CEO & co-founder below:

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…

— GeoGuessr (@geoguessr) May 22, 2025

Why are stances on the Esports World Cup more conflicted in the ALGS?

There are two main arguments surrounding the Esports World Cup’s position in Apex Legends.

Contradiction with Apex Legends’ status as an inclusive game

Hambino is not the only player to have spoken publicly about discomfort surrounding the ALGS’s forced integration into the Esports World Cup.

FURIA player, Ryan ‘ImMadness’ Schlieve, also contributed to the discussion. He indirectly questioned the commitment of Apex Legends publisher EA to LGBTQ+ rights, drawing attention to the game’s marketing as “inclusive.” 

It's odd Apex Legends is marketed as an LGBTQ+ inclusivity game but host LAN in a country where those individuals are deemed illegal.

From my POV it just seems like exploitation of marginalized communities for financial gain and drop those beliefs when more money is involved.

— ImMadness (@ImMadnessTV) June 16, 2025

Apex Legends features queer, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender playable characters. For example, Gibraltar is confirmed as having dated other men in his Legend description. Therefore, the LGBTQ+ identity is integrated into the lore and storytelling behind the game. 

Forced integration into the ALGS

While other esports tournaments remain separate entities, the Esports World Cup controversy is intensified in Apex Legends due to its integration into the ALGS in 2025. 

In EA’s Apex Legends Competitive calendar for ALGS Year 5, there are only three LAN tournaments. 

The ALGS Open was held in New Orleans in May 2025. This event took place before the Pro League commenced and served as the first LAN. 

Second is the Midseason Playoffs, which is the upcoming LAN tournament. EA confirmed in May that it would be held at the Esports World Cup. The Esports World Cup, its venue, and its competitive structure have become the Playoffs. The two names denote the same tournament.  

algs midseason playoffs is now just the EWC so it's another event that small orgs can't get into

— Slasher (@SlasherIi) May 20, 2025

The third LAN tournament is the end-of-year Championship. It is the most prestigious event of the competitive calendar, and often offers the highest amount of prize money

In the ALGS, qualification for the end-of-year Championship is primarily based on the Championship Points that players collect, both individually and as a team. 

Because the Esports World Cup is now integrated into the ALGS competitive ecosystem, players are compelled to compete if they want to continue accumulating Championship Points in the professional circuit. 

Hambino stressed the impact of this in their comments to Esports News UK:

“Due to EWC joining the ALGS, EA has given EWC the same rule set as any other LAN. This means that travel is mandatory if you wish to compete in the LAN and earn Championship Points for playing. 

This is troublesome, because me not playing at EWC means I will not be receiving any championship points for the event, significantly hurting our chances of making the ALGS Championship. This location forced my team to have to find a 4th player, 2 months before the tournament, because ALGS emergency sub rules made by EA are pretty strict.”

The future of the ALGS and Esports World Cup collaboration

It is currently unclear whether the ALGS has been integrated into the Esports World Cup permanently. EA has not made any announcements regarding the competitive ecosystem for Year 6 of the ALGS. It is unlikely to do so until the Championship at the end of Year 5. 

Years 3 and 4 of the ALGS consisted of EA-organised tournaments that kept the competitive events independent from other organisers.

In the meantime, players can only speculate whether EA will continue to transfer ALGS tournament management to other organisers or regain control over the entire system once more.