The Esports World Cup Foundation, the organization in charge of both the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup, is about to experience a name change. During a meeting of the Saudi Arabian government’s Council of Ministers on Tuesday, the cabinet “officially amended the charter of the Esports World Cup Foundation” to rename it the Esports Foundation.
The formal change of the foundation’s name was a minor blip in a busy session filled with memorandums of understanding and approvals for domestic and international projects.
It was unclear when the EWCF will take up this new official moniker, as no formal announcement by the foundation has been made. The name change makes sense, as the foundation now operates two esports competitions.
The EWCF claims that it is funded through a so-called “sports grant” by the Saudi Arabian government’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Clearly the Saudi Arabian government is directly tied to the foundation, as it has the power to change its name during a cabinet meeting.
Projects backed by the Saudi government are often accused of being used for “sports washing,” or as a cover for the government to gloss over its record on human rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, its mistreatment (and executions of) journalists, military actions in Yemen, and more. These and other criticisms have been highlighted by international watchdog groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.