• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 05:21
CET 11:21
KST 19:21
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
ByuL: The Forgotten Master of ZvT0Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book16Clem wins HomeStory Cup 289HomeStory Cup 28 - Info & Preview13Rongyi Cup S3 - Preview & Info8
Community News
Weekly Cups (Feb 9-15): herO doubles up0ACS replaced by "ASL Season Open" - Starts 21/0224LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals (Feb 10-16)44Weekly Cups (Feb 2-8): Classic, Solar, MaxPax win2Nexon's StarCraft game could be FPS, led by UMS maker14
StarCraft 2
General
Nexon's StarCraft game could be FPS, led by UMS maker ByuL: The Forgotten Master of ZvT Weekly Cups (Feb 9-15): herO doubles up How do you think the 5.0.15 balance patch (Oct 2025) for StarCraft II has affected the game? StarCraft 1 & 2 Added to Xbox Game Pass
Tourneys
LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals (Feb 10-16) WardiTV Team League Season 10 PIG STY FESTIVAL 7.0! (19 Feb - 1 Mar) $5,000 WardiTV Winter Championship 2026 StarCraft Evolution League (SC Evo Biweekly)
Strategy
Custom Maps
Map Editor closed ? [A] Starcraft Sound Mod
External Content
Mutation # 513 Attrition Warfare The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 512 Overclocked Mutation # 511 Temple of Rebirth
Brood War
General
Gypsy to Korea Ladder maps - how we can make blizz update them? TvZ is the most complete match up Which units you wish saw more use in the game? BW General Discussion
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues Escore Tournament StarCraft Season 1 Small VOD Thread 2.0 KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
Strategy
Fighting Spirit mining rates Zealot bombing is no longer popular? Simple Questions, Simple Answers Current Meta
Other Games
General Games
ZeroSpace Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Diablo 2 thread Path of Exile Battle Aces/David Kim RTS Megathread
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Ask and answer stupid questions here! Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club The herO Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
[Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books [Manga] One Piece Anime Discussion Thread
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
The Search For Meaning in Vi…
TrAiDoS
My 2025 Magic: The Gathering…
DARKING
Life Update and thoughts.
FuDDx
How do archons sleep?
8882
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1772 users

ESL sold for $1B to Saudi-backed Savvy Gaming Group - Page 4

Forum Index > SC2 General
83 CommentsPost a Reply
Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next All
lechatnoir
Profile Joined November 2016
392 Posts
January 26 2022 09:18 GMT
#61
It's sad every time to learn who actually owns what you consume. Let's see if it has an impact how they run things, whom they work with etc.
deacon.frost
Profile Joined February 2013
Czech Republic12129 Posts
January 26 2022 09:47 GMT
#62
On January 26 2022 16:55 trinity_law wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 26 2022 02:10 deacon.frost wrote:
On January 26 2022 00:16 trinity_law wrote:
ESL is dead, may you never find peace in your human rights violating new country

Out of 4 posts 3 are here shitting on ESL. Maybe, just maybe, you want to browse different threads or scream out of a window? Seems like this thread isn't exactly good for you



Its a troll account you moron. TL is pathetic with their protection against trolling or spamming. Thats why i shit on you and everyone on this site.

Oh noez, what a surprise. The next highly revealing thing - water makes objects wet!
I imagine France should be able to take this unless Lilbow is busy practicing for Starcraft III. | KadaverBB is my fairy ban mother.
WombaT
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Northern Ireland26255 Posts
January 26 2022 10:40 GMT
#63
On January 26 2022 18:47 deacon.frost wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 26 2022 16:55 trinity_law wrote:
On January 26 2022 02:10 deacon.frost wrote:
On January 26 2022 00:16 trinity_law wrote:
ESL is dead, may you never find peace in your human rights violating new country

Out of 4 posts 3 are here shitting on ESL. Maybe, just maybe, you want to browse different threads or scream out of a window? Seems like this thread isn't exactly good for you



Its a troll account you moron. TL is pathetic with their protection against trolling or spamming. Thats why i shit on you and everyone on this site.

Oh noez, what a surprise. The next highly revealing thing - water makes objects wet!

It’s especially great because TL is like, extremely stringent on these things and why I find the site tolerable, but trinity law definitely knows what’s going on
'You'll always be the cuddly marsupial of my heart, despite the inherent flaws of your ancestry' - Squat
AmericanUmlaut
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
Germany2591 Posts
January 26 2022 10:46 GMT
#64
On January 26 2022 18:09 HolydaKing wrote:
Yeah, I think for the most part we will notice nothing different - apart from sponsor mentions maybe. I could imagine that prize pools will spike in some games that the Saudi company cares about.

While I don't approve a lot of things concerning the Saudi government, I don't really mind this. I don't mind Russian gamers and companies either, while I don't particularly like their government.

The difference here is that the ESL is not just owned by some people who happen to be from Saudi Arabia, it is owned by the government of Saudi Arabia. It's one thing when a gamer happens to come from an authoritarian country, or a company is owned by people who do. It's something else entirely when an actual authoritarian government owns a gaming organization. The gains of ESL, financial and reputational, will now accrue to the rulers of Saudi Arabia, which makes support for ESL indirectly support for that regime.
The frumious Bandersnatch
dbRic1203
Profile Joined July 2019
Germany2655 Posts
January 26 2022 10:57 GMT
#65
On January 26 2022 19:46 AmericanUmlaut wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 26 2022 18:09 HolydaKing wrote:
Yeah, I think for the most part we will notice nothing different - apart from sponsor mentions maybe. I could imagine that prize pools will spike in some games that the Saudi company cares about.

While I don't approve a lot of things concerning the Saudi government, I don't really mind this. I don't mind Russian gamers and companies either, while I don't particularly like their government.

The difference here is that the ESL is not just owned by some people who happen to be from Saudi Arabia, it is owned by the government of Saudi Arabia. It's one thing when a gamer happens to come from an authoritarian country, or a company is owned by people who do. It's something else entirely when an actual authoritarian government owns a gaming organization. The gains of ESL, financial and reputational, will now accrue to the rulers of Saudi Arabia, which makes support for ESL indirectly support for that regime.

Was thinking exactly the same thing, when I read that Post.
Thanks for putting it into words better than I could have done
MaxPax
J. Corsair
Profile Joined June 2014
United States470 Posts
January 26 2022 11:27 GMT
#66
So many pretend to care... Bigger countries that produce far more of your consumer goods do things just as morally objectionable. They have a big red flag, it's just not as hip to speak against what they do publicly.
“...it is human nature, I suppose, to be futile and ridiculous.” - Scaramouche
atchosvk
Profile Joined April 2018
55 Posts
January 26 2022 11:55 GMT
#67
1 Billion is pretty much nothing for such big organization. I can't believe some of you welcome this as a good news..
Antoninus
Profile Joined January 2022
1 Post
January 26 2022 12:27 GMT
#68
They said CSGO was too CT favored but this seems overkill to fix it.
Cricketer12
Profile Blog Joined May 2012
United States13990 Posts
January 26 2022 14:15 GMT
#69
On January 26 2022 21:27 Antoninus wrote:
They said CSGO was too CT favored but this seems overkill to fix it.

Christ
Chain 1 Arthalion Chain 2 Urgula Chain 3 Mululu Chain 4 Lukias
honorablemacroterran
Profile Joined January 2022
188 Posts
January 26 2022 15:59 GMT
#70
On January 26 2022 15:06 tankgirl wrote:
A billion dollars for some pointless video game for man-children?


Tell us how you really feel about Starcraft lol
Ctone23
Profile Blog Joined December 2012
United States1839 Posts
January 26 2022 17:00 GMT
#71
On January 26 2022 20:55 atchosvk wrote:
1 Billion is pretty much nothing for such big organization. I can't believe some of you welcome this as a good news..

For a company valued around 120~ million in 2015, 1 billion looks pretty good.
TL+ Member
argonautdice
Profile Joined January 2013
Canada2719 Posts
January 26 2022 17:22 GMT
#72
On January 26 2022 20:27 J. Corsair wrote:
So many pretend to care... Bigger countries that produce far more of your consumer goods do things just as morally objectionable. They have a big red flag, it's just not as hip to speak against what they do publicly.

You mean China? Isn't that like one of the most criticized countries?
very illegal and very uncool
honorablemacroterran
Profile Joined January 2022
188 Posts
Last Edited: 2022-01-26 17:34:40
January 26 2022 17:32 GMT
#73
I think the question we should be asking is, if we disapprove of Saudi Arabia, which I'd bet almost everyone does, and if they are buying ESL through a company they own, will protesting ESL actually change anything about their behavior, or is it more likely to just hurt the esports scene? I know people like to feel like they are doing something, but I don't see how it will be productive to bring about meaningful change to bash ESL.

I think that Saudi Arabia is highly committed to the way they do things, for a number of reasons, and something a lot bigger than having relatively small investments for them get protested would have to happen to meaningfully change their behavior. On the other hand, ESL will contribute almost nothing to their total wealth because, as I said, it's a relatively small investment. By attacking ESL, though, you can help to kill the esports scene.

If you want to stop human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, freaking out over them owning ESL isn't going to do it. Sorry. Maybe you should consider pressuring your politicians to do something about them.
Silvanel
Profile Blog Joined March 2003
Poland4742 Posts
January 26 2022 18:39 GMT
#74
Many people mention human rights in SA, but there is also the War in Yemen thing.
Pathetic Greta hater.
v1p3r52
Profile Joined December 2010
New Zealand182 Posts
January 26 2022 19:22 GMT
#75
This seems so random
Acrofales
Profile Joined August 2010
Spain18216 Posts
January 26 2022 20:25 GMT
#76
On January 27 2022 03:39 Silvanel wrote:
Many people mention human rights in SA, but there is also the War in Yemen thing.

Isn't the whole fanatic theocracy the ground reason for both things? People don't like fanatic theocracies.
AmericanUmlaut
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
Germany2591 Posts
January 27 2022 11:10 GMT
#77
On January 26 2022 20:27 J. Corsair wrote:
So many pretend to care... Bigger countries that produce far more of your consumer goods do things just as morally objectionable. They have a big red flag, it's just not as hip to speak against what they do publicly.

You're right. No one ever has anything negative to say about China, or expresses concerns about the influence they can purchase with their investments. Good point.
The frumious Bandersnatch
Argonauta
Profile Joined July 2016
Spain4962 Posts
Last Edited: 2022-01-27 12:09:07
January 27 2022 12:08 GMT
#78
ups, wrong thread...
Rogue | Maru | Scarlett | Trap
TL+ Member
EEk1TwEEk
Profile Joined June 2017
Russian Federation188 Posts
January 27 2022 20:09 GMT
#79
Is this good news or not?
This man suffers from a bad heart, but I have plenty of medicine.
Kitai
Profile Joined June 2012
United States880 Posts
Last Edited: 2022-01-28 02:17:06
January 28 2022 02:15 GMT
#80
On January 28 2022 05:09 EEk1TwEEk wrote:
Is this good news or not?


We don't actually know yet until they announce their future plans/policies/procedures relating to SC2. Some are saying it's bad because they don't like the questionable practices of the country it's based out of. They're also likely doing that while they navigate with a mouse and keyboard at a desk in their chair while looking at their monitor(s), some or all of which came from a factory in a country not known for its upstanding labor practices.
"You know, I don't care if soO got 100 second places in a row. Anyone who doesn't think that he's going to win blizzcon watching this series is a fool" - Artosis, Blizzcon 2014 soO vs TaeJa
Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 1h 39m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
trigger 48
StarCraft: Brood War
GuemChi 1736
Bisu 1719
Horang2 775
actioN 432
Larva 427
sorry 245
Pusan 107
ToSsGirL 59
Backho 54
NaDa 40
[ Show more ]
Sacsri 24
soO 21
Mini 18
scan(afreeca) 14
Noble 12
Terrorterran 6
League of Legends
JimRising 513
Counter-Strike
olofmeister1924
shoxiejesuss1028
byalli305
kRYSTAL_59
Other Games
summit1g11308
crisheroes165
Fuzer 119
Trikslyr27
Organizations
Counter-Strike
PGL15184
StarCraft: Brood War
UltimateBattle 127
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 15 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH182
• StrangeGG 60
• LUISG 37
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• iopq 5
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Lourlo1330
Upcoming Events
WardiTV Winter Champion…
1h 39m
PiGosaur Cup
14h 39m
Replay Cast
22h 39m
WardiTV Winter Champion…
1d 1h
Replay Cast
1d 13h
PiG Sty Festival
1d 22h
Maru vs Bunny
Classic vs SHIN
The PondCast
1d 23h
KCM Race Survival
1d 23h
WardiTV Winter Champion…
2 days
OSC
2 days
[ Show More ]
Replay Cast
2 days
PiG Sty Festival
2 days
Clem vs Percival
Zoun vs Solar
Epic.LAN
3 days
Replay Cast
3 days
PiG Sty Festival
3 days
herO vs NightMare
Reynor vs Cure
CranKy Ducklings
3 days
Epic.LAN
4 days
Replay Cast
4 days
PiG Sty Festival
4 days
Serral vs YoungYakov
ByuN vs ShoWTimE
Sparkling Tuna Cup
4 days
Replay Cast
5 days
Replay Cast
5 days
Wardi Open
6 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

C-League Week 31
LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals
Underdog Cup #3

Ongoing

KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
Nations Cup 2026
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
eXTREMESLAND 2025
SL Budapest Major 2025

Upcoming

Escore Tournament S1: King of Kings
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 1st Round
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 1st Round Qualifier
Spring Cup 2026: China & Korea Invitational
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 2nd Round
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 2nd Round Qualifier
Acropolis #4
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
RSL Revival: Season 4
PiG Sty Festival 7.0
WardiTV Winter 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
CCT Season 3 Global Finals
FISSURE Playground #3
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League Season 23
ESL Pro League Season 23
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.