The sanctions against Russian eSports players and teams have been lifted. At least that’s what the Russian eSports Federation says. There is no statement yet from the IESF, who have taken this decision. In any case, the EEF is sticking to the restrictions and is criticising them, just like the ESBD.
In the course of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, there were also sanctions against Russian eSports players. They were either not allowed to take part in competitions under the Russian flag or were excluded altogether.
After more than a year, these restrictions have now been dropped, writes the Russian eSports Federation on its website. There is still no official confirmation from the International eSport Federation, but both the European eSport Federation (EEF) and the German eSport Federation (ESBD) have commented on this.
EEF maintains policy of suspending RES
The EEF respects “the democratic process and the subsequent decision of the International eSports Federation (IESF) General Assembly to reinstate the Russian Esports Federation (RES)”. However, “we would like to express that we do not agree with the outcome of the vote. We would like to assure our member organisations and stakeholders that the EEF stands by its policy of suspending the RES due to its alleged involvement in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, as decided by the EEF General Assembly in Stockholm on 29.10.2022.”
Several IESF member associations condemned the move. “The decision means that Russian e-sports players can now openly represent their country, proudly display their flag and even play their national anthem at the World Championship tournament and other IESF events,” read a joint statement from several member federations, including Wales, Norway, Canada, Finland and Ukraine.
Dota 2 team renounces further participation in the IESF World Championship
In response to the sanctions being lifted, Ukraine’s Dota 2 team decided against further participation in the 2023 IESF World Championship, which is currently in its final stages, with the final taking place on Sunday in Iasi, Romania.
Ukraine reached the final after a successful group stage, slipping into the lower bracket after losing to Kyrgyzstan in the quarter-finals. There, the team was due to meet Indonesia on Wednesday, but cancelled its appearance due to the IESF’s decision. The match was eventually scored in favour of Indonesia. In addition to an official statement from the IESF, a statement from the Ukrainian eSports Federation is also missing.
