Russia to ban Counter Strike event from upcoming Russian esports tournaments: Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced an upcoming all-Russian video game tournament, organized by Lesta Games, that will showcase various esports titles from domestic and friendly countries’ developers. The tournament is expected to feature popular games like League of Legends and World of Tanks. However, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) has been excluded from the event due to concerns about its perceived political bias.
While further details are yet to be revealed, the decision to exclude CS:GO suggests a conscious effort to maintain a politically neutral environment for the tournament, focusing on games that are less likely to generate controversy.
All-Russian video game tournament by Lesta Games
Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken an interest in Russia’s local gaming and esports community, despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Due to the ongoing war, numerous esports teams in Russia have encountered limitations, including being denied sponsorships and opportunities to participate in competitive events.
The tournament, organized by Lesta Games, will feature titles from their catalog, including World of Tanks, World of Ships, and Tanks Blitz, as well as games from domestic and friendly countries’ developers. League of Legends, owned by Tencent, a China-based conglomerate, is also a potential inclusion in the event. The move signifies a focus on supporting local and friendly gaming ventures amidst geopolitical tensions.
Russia to ban Counter Strike: It is “Too Political”
The exclusion of Counter Strike from the tournament is puzzling as the game itself does not directly depict political events. However, it can be speculated that the decision might be influenced by a controversial map created by a Finnish newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat. The map, set in a war-torn eastern European city, contained images and text that Russia found inappropriate.
Although the map was not validated by the CS:GO developers, it contributed to the perception that the game includes content disapproved by the Russian government. This likely played a role in the game’s exclusion from the upcoming event.
