Residents of Ukraine woke up to the sound of gunfire and bombings on the dawn of February 24th as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced war on their western neighbours.
As the invasion continued, people throughout the world expressed their discontent and anger with Russia for what is being considered as the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two.
The war also took a toll on the world of esports, and several renowned esports stars took it to Twitter to state their views, with some fearing for the lives of their countrymen while others wish to be with their friends and families at such troubling times.
Following the incident, some CSGO fans even started raising petitions to ban the Russian community from the game. Posts were also seen on social media forums claiming that Valve CEO Gabe Newell would ban Russia from CSGO and Dota 2, two of the biggest titles by the company. This leads us to question the veracity of such news.
Gaben Banning Russia From CSGO, Dota 2?
Upon closer inspection, it’s obvious that the news of Valve banning Russia from CSGO and Dota 2 is not only absurd, but outright false information. Furthermore, it doesn’t seem like Valve will be banning Russia from these games anytime soon.
The Reddit post linked above has since been deleted while the petition has also been removed shortly afterward. Russians are still free to play CSGO or Dota 2 as Valve hasn’t banned the country from any of their titles.
As Ukrainian CSGO legend s1mple said at the IEM Katowice 2022 earlier today, “esports is out of politics.” Fans shouldn’t let decisions made by governments hinder or circumvent the existent integrity in the world of esports.
