Russia began a large-scale military assault against Ukraine in the early morning hours of Thursday. As both countries have traditionally been very strong esport countries, the scene has of course also reacted to the shocking news of war.
CS:GO stars at IEM Katowice
The most prominent reactions was maybe from s1mple, considered by many the greatest player of all time in CS:GO, who is from Kyiv:
Currently the CS:GO star is abroad in Poland, participating with his team Natus Vincere at the IEM Katowice 2022. His team is qualified for the playoffs that are scheduled to start on Friday. Currently the matches are supposed to go as planned, but tournament organizer ESL has also issued the statement, that they are monitoring the situation and will do everything they can to support players, talent and staff.
Many esport teams have also turned their social media appearances to the colors of Ukraine to show their support for the country. Perhaps the most well-known Ukrainian team Natus Vincere has also taken to Twitter in a separate message:
Disbelief & Offers of support in the scene
The widely spread disbelief at the events was also shared by many other players. Dota 2 legend Dendi maybe put the surreal experience into words the best:
Others focused more on trying to aid the people in need of assistance during the conflict. Team Liquid’s founder and Co-CEO Nazgul also went on Twitter to offer temporary shelter in their Dutch headquarters for any players that might be stranded abroad.
The war in Ukraine has affected all areas of life around the world and we can only hope that the situation will not escalate any further.