BLAST, a tournament organizer based in Denmark, has officially terminated their partnership with Saudi Arabian futuristic city NEOM, according to a report by HLTV. The deal lasted just two weeks before being ended.
The partnership, which was initially described as a “record deal” by BLAST CEO Robbie Douek, was created so BLAST could help shape the esports future of NEOM, as well as make the city a regional esports hub. A self-described “bold and audacious dream,” NEOM is a planned futuristic and utopian-esque city in Saudi Arabia.
The termination of the partnership was confirmed by BLAST in a statement revealed by Danish newspaper B.T., with the termination being described as “mutual, professional and respectful.” The deal had faced harsh criticism since its inception. The public blasted the partnership because of Saudi Arabia’s history of human rights’ violations.
BLAST will continue to facilitate the development of esports in the Middle East, which was apparently the goal of the original deal made with NEOM. “BLAST remains focused on increasing access and involvement to esports, and we will continue to seek to expand our global footprint including in the Middle East,” a BLAST spokesperson said. BLAST has already hosted two events in the Middle East, BLAST Pro Series: Istanbul 2018 and BLAST Pro Series: Global Final 2019, which was held in Bahrain.
BLAST is now the second company to terminate relations with NEOM. Riot Games recently faced immense backlash following the news that the League of Legends European Championship would be partnering with the futuristic tech city. After the public as well as multiple members of the LEC broadcast team came out against the partnership, Riot quickly terminated the deal just sixteen hours after it was announced.
The debacle spawned an ethics committee for Riot Games, which will provide company-wide transparency for Riot’s global operations.
It is currently unknown how the move will impact BLAST. The company has not released any statement on social media.
Source: HLTV
