Saudi version of EWC video series censors LGBTQ+ references, criticisms of event

The Saudi version of a new streaming video series meant to promote the Saudi-run Esports World Cup censors a portion of one episode that touches on LGBTQ+ subject matter and briefly mentions criticisms of the event.

Esports World Cup: Level Up, a series on the Amazon Prime Video streaming platform, follows the teams and individuals that participated in the 2024 Esports World Cup tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Across five episodes, Level Up profiles a handful of athletes and notable figures in esports, centering on their performance at the tournament.

The second episode follows the esports organization Team Liquid and its 2024 League of Legends and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang rosters. The version of the episode that is available to viewers in the U.S. includes a two-minute section just before the five-minute mark, in which:

• Team Liquid co-CEO Steve Arhancet describes the organization’s values: “Our core belief at Liquid is that gaming is for everyone, regardless of gender, race or sexuality.”

• Arhancet adds that he is gay, and describes gaming and esports as a refuge. He also says that as a gay man he found it “difficult to participate” in an event in Saudi Arabia. (He does not say why, nor do the video’s creators elaborate on this remark.)

• Arhancet says that the fan reaction to Team Liquid participating in the Esports World Cup has been negative. Screenshots that display on screen show messages from social media users including: “You’ve chosen money over morals” and “Be ashamed of yourselves. You used to stand for righteousness.”

• Arhancet concludes by showing off a variant of the Team Liquid jersey he and the team would wear to the Esports World Cup, which includes a little rainbow motif in the team’s logo. “Little did they know, we already decided to do something about it,” Arhancet says, referring to fans who were upset with Team Liquid. “To wear this is a statement to all of the gamers in the world. This is what Liquid believes in. This is what I believe in. And I think that’s extremely powerful.”

This section does not appear in the version of the episode that is being streamed to viewers in Saudi Arabia, according to two Prime Video users in the country who described the content of the episode to ReaderGrev.

The rainbow elements on the Team Liquid jerseys are also blurred out in the Saudi version.

It was not immediately clear which party was responsible for the cuts to the video series. Neither the Esports World Cup Foundation, nor Amazon Prime Video, nor This Machine, the production company behind the documentary, responded to a request for comment.

The organizers behind the Esports World Cup have heavily promoted Level Up in their marketing for the event, and Team Liquid has shared social content relating to the series — including one video that highlights the passage that was removed from the Saudi version of episode two.

“We are disappointed to learn, upon your request for comment, that the Saudi broadcast of Esports World Cup: Level Up has been altered to remove images of our Pride jersey, as well as important parts of our Co-CEO Steve Arhancet's story as a gay man in esports,” Team Liquid wrote in a statement to ReaderGrev. “While we understand that streaming services may change content to comply with local regulations or content policies, we disagree with this kind of censorship and we have reached out to the Level Up production team and Amazon to look into the matter. Progress doesn't happen overnight, but we are hopeful in our conversations around the topic, and we will continue to wear our jersey with pride across the globe, including at the Esports World Cup.”

It was also not immediately apparent whether the same content had been cut for viewers in other regions with laws against LGBTQ+ expression. Prime Video notes on its website that it may restrict access to titles “where the sale or distribution of that content would violate that country's or region's laws, cultural norms, or sensitivities or for any other reason at our discretion.”

The Esports World Cup is an annual tournament series, now in its second year, that features dozens of esports teams competing across a wide range of games for a prize pool exceeding $70 million. The nearly two-month long event is backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which is controlled by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Public Investment Fund has made major investments into the video game and esports industries as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a national strategy around the diversification of the Saudi economy.

As I’ve written before: Saudi Arabia is considered hostile to LGBTQ+ people by reputable human rights groups and the U.S. government. The State Department travel guide for Saudi Arabia notes that same-sex sexual activity is criminalized in the country, adding that “violations of Saudi laws governing perceived expressions of, or support for, same-sex sexual relations, including on social media, may be subject to severe punishment. Potential penalties include fines, jail time, or death.” Nontraditional gender expression is also criminalized in the kingdom.

The Esports World Cup, a Saudi sportswashing effort, has drawn criticism from some esports fans — and even from organizations participating in the event, including Team Liquid.

“Saudi Arabia's human rights record is undeniably troubling,” Arhancet wrote on X in June 2024, in a lengthy post explaining Liquid’s participation in the event. “I know my struggles pale compared to what LGBT Saudis face daily,” he added.

In another lengthy June 2024 statement via video, Arhancet’s co-CEO, Victor Goossens, said the organization was urged by activists and human rights groups not to boycott the event, and instead to participate and “speak up.”

Some members of the esports community have opted to ignore or counter-program the matches at the Esports World Cup, and a handful of popular streamers have openly declined to co-stream the event, citing Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

Thanks for reading ReaderGrev! I’ve also written more about esportswashing and Saudi Arabia here and here, if you’re interested.

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