Photo: VCT
To symbolize a country and its national pride, it's hard to do better than a flag . Recognized by all, it is a true indicator of identity. This symbol is very shared in the world of competitive sport and it has been imported into the world of esports. Some will say that nationalism leads to drift when it is pushed too far. However, we are still very happy to have French players and French teams to represent us at the highest level. On Valorant, we closely follow the performance of Enzo (Fnatic), the only French player to be involved in the Copenhagen Masters .
But since the start of the competition, we haven't seen a single player on stage with his country's flag on his shoulders. The reason is simple: Riot Games has banned flags. Some will wonder why such a drastic decision was taken. Yet, looking at the overall context, one can easily guess the answer on one's own.
The conflict in Ukraine is still relevant
It is less talked about in the media, but the military conflict between Ukraine and Russia is still topical. Today, the Ukrainian State Service for Emergency Situations communicated that a Russian bombardment in Toretsk (Donbass) had caused 6 new victims by destroying a building. Obviously, geopolitics is not the sinews of the esports war. However, the video game has not remained completely impervious to the situation. On the side of Riot Games and Valorant, players of Gambit, a Russian structure, were notably asked to compete under a neutral banner. The M3 Champions will therefore be able to be in the Champions (Worlds) tournament if they obtain their ticket during the last chance tournament.
But in Copenhagen, Riot Games decided to bet on neutrality. No player was able to wear his country's flag on his shoulders on stage. There is no privilege and even the flag of Ukraine has been banned... which is a bit of a shame, given the context. A little sign of solidarity surely wouldn't have hurt. But we imagine that the organizers did not want to alienate the Russian community by making an exception, which would obviously have been interpreted wrongly and through.
The message from the heart of ANGE1 (FPX)
This ban hurt Kyrylo " ANGE1 " Karasov, the Ukrainian FPX player. On the networks, he wanted to send a message, with the flag of his country. He recalls that on a daily basis, hundreds of civilians die because of the aggression of the Russian power, which sees Ukraine in his words, only as a colony. He asks the rest of the world, especially politicians, not to forget what is happening now and that his country is in great need of support. And that this cause does not only concern Ukraine, which is "only a line of defense before Mordor".
He wanted to use his voice and his "little" notoriety to support his people... and we can only welcome his intention. For once, we are forced to find Riot Games a little too cautious on the issue.
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