GeoGuessr has withdrawn from the Esports World Cup after facing backlash from its community of players and map creators over the event's Saudi Arabian venue.
With 85 million users, GeoGuessr has become phenomenally successful as a geography-based game that drops players into random global locations to identify their surroundings. The game offers extensive customization through developer and community-made options – allowing players to choose opponents, select map types (urban/rural), restrict geographical regions, adjust movement capabilities (including NMPZ modes), and explore countless creative custom maps. Its competitive scene has thrived for years.
The controversy erupted when Zemmip, representing creators behind many popular GeoGuessr maps, organized a "blackout" protest on May 22nd by making maps inaccessible. This action condemned GeoGuessr's planned World Championship wildcard tournament at the Riyadh-based Esports World Cup.
"By aligning with this event, GeoGuessr becomes complicit in Saudi Arabia's sportswashing efforts to distract from systemic oppression," Zemmip stated on the GeoGuessr subreddit, citing documented human rights violations against women, LGBTQ+ individuals, political dissidents, migrant workers, and religious minorities.
The protest involved dozens of creators disabling "a supermajority of top competitive maps," pledging continuation until GeoGuessr canceled Saudi-linked events. "Human rights aren't games," their statement concluded.
After community confusion about inaccessible maps flooded forums, CEO Daniel Antell announced GeoGuessr's withdrawal on May 22nd: "We've heard clearly that this decision conflicts with our values." The statement acknowledged their initial intent to engage Middle Eastern players while maintaining GeoGuessr's exploration-focused mission.
Community responses celebrated the reversal, with top Reddit comments referencing the game's maximum 5K score ("Now that's a 5K") and praising collective action: "The community united, fought, and succeeded."
IGN has reached out to Esports World Cup organizers for comment. Despite GeoGuessr's exit, numerous major titles like Dota 2, Valorant, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 remain scheduled for the July event.
The controversy coincides with GeoGuessr's rocky Steam debut last week, where initial review bombing briefly placed it among the platform's worst-rated games. Criticisms target missing features – including single-player practice modes – and account progression discrepancies between browser and Steam versions.
