Today, SonicFox took first place in Mortal Kombat 1 at Evo 2024. However, while their peers are sponsored and travel the world with the support of major gaming organizations, they remain free agents. The key reason? The Esports World Cup.
Speaking with VG247 during the post-victory press conference, we asked SonicFox to share his thoughts on the growing presence of the Saudi government-funded Esports World Cup within the FGC, and they shared the following:
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“I’ve been very vocal about this in terms of the Esports World Cup. Unfortunately, people like me and other transgender people, a lot of people like us, just can’t compete. I don’t think it’s a good idea to partner with them (I mean the Saudi government). While I think the money is nice – it’s life-changing money for some people – I don’t think it’s a good idea for the government to have such overwhelming support for the FGC because it often discriminates against people.”
“Unfortunately, sponsors started to talk me into the Esports World Cup. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more humiliated than when I had to tell those sponsors, ‘I can’t do this because I’m gay.’
While players, commentators, and community members share SonicFox’s sentiment on the matter, the truth is that government interest — and money — in the FGC and esports as a whole is growing. While Evo 2024 isn’t directly tied to the Esports World Cup, one of its official partners is Qiddiya Gaming. Qiddiya Gaming, which is funded by the Saudi Arabian Government Public Investment Fund, not only has a booth at the expo this year, but is also sponsoring the Evo Awards in 2025.
The Saudi Arabian government has been under fire for years his treatment of LGBT+ peoplebut also women AND migrants at the border.
As SonicFox themselves stated on Twitter earlier this yearevents taking place in Saudi Arabia raise real concerns for those with safety or ethical concerns. It also begs the question: If one of the best players in the world can’t get sponsorship because of his sexual or gender identity, are professional teams interested in being the best teams in the world? Is the paycheck more essential?
