Cancelling Esports World Cup not an option, says organiser

Delaying this year's Esports World Cup (EWC), which has been moved from Saudi Arabia to Paris, was not an option, its organiser has said.

The tournament, one of the biggest events in competitive gaming, attracts about 2,000 professional players hoping to win part of a $75m (£55m) prize pot.

For the past two years it has been held in Saudi capital Riyadh, but this week bosses announced it had been relocated due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Mike McCabe, one of EWC's chief organisers, tells BBC Newsbeat cancelling the event outright would have meant esports clubs, which rely on streaming rights and prize money, would have lost out.

The tournament is the latest major event to be affected by tensions in the Middle East, with this year's April Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain cancelled.

As the EWC drew closer, teams set to compete began to ask what it meant for them.

"The regional situation and the instability was still a question mark for many of the players and fans", says McCabe, deputy CEO of tournament organisers the Esports Foundation.

He says concerns over air travel disruption were a "primary consideration" when moving the tournament, and insisted the decision was made as early as possible.

McCabe, however, stresses that pressure from players and fans did not influence the relocation, and says plans for the EWC to take place outside Saudi Arabia had already been announced.

"This was always part of the plan. There's just been a change of sequence", he says.

"The EWC runs for seven weeks, but we spend many months planning for it," he says.

"So for us to pivot the entire event to a different country is a huge undertaking".

McCabe says the foundation still hopes to hold the first Esports Nations Cup in Riyadh this November, as planned, but contingency plans have been made if that can't happen.

Thousands of players and fans will have to change their travel plans, although most spectators watch matches online.

British Trackmania esports pro Thomas Cole, also known by his gamer tag PAC, is one of the competitors.

"I was really looking forward to playing in Riyadh, just to see what it would have been like", he says.

He adds that he's only played in front of European crowds before and would've enjoyed a new experience.

Thomas plays for Team Vitality, based in Paris, meaning he'll now be playing for home crowds, something he says will make a big difference.

"I can continue practicing in Paris if I wanted to, which if anything makes things slightly easier," he says.

Holding the EWC in Saudi Arabia, which has provided investment and funding to get the tournament off the ground, has been controversial due to its anti-LGBT laws, and human rights record.

Critics accuse the Saudi government of "sportswashing" - investing in popular events to distract from its reputation.

Some players, commentators and other esports figures have boycotted the event.

Esports pro Emma, also known online as Emzii, has won trophies for Team GB, but says she had worried about the safety for transgender players like her in Riyadh.

She tells Newsbeat the move to Paris is "pretty darn amazing... from an LGBT standpoint".

"I think you're going to get a massive uptick of people actually willing to go," she says.

"It's going to be welcoming and inclusive. I don't think there's going to be any barriers there for the LGBT community especially."

McCabe tells Newsbeat the tournament's stance has always been that everyone is welcome, something he says hasn't changed.

However, he says the new venue in Paris "helps us to increase the global relevance and brings new fans to the ecosystem".

Saudi Arabia has been reducing its investments in certain events recently.

Just last year, the country "mutually agreed" to end a deal with the International Olympic Committee to host an Olympics Esports Games.

And, in April, it also ended funding for the breakaway LIV golf tournament.