ESL Faces Backlash for Not Streaming IEM Katowice North America Closed Qualifier Matches
ESL, the leading tournament organizer in the world of CS:GO, is facing criticism for not streaming several matches of the IEM Katowice North America closed qualifier. Fans have expressed their disappointment as ESL has reportedly ignored requests for match IPs, preventing streamers from broadcasting these matches on their Twitch channels.
Limited Coverage During the Qualifier Matches
During the six-hour qualifier matches, ESL only streamed the best-of-three matches between FURIA and Chaos, as well as Chaos and Complexity. This resulted in the omission of games that were of high interest to specific regions, such as the match between MIBR and INTZ for Brazilian fans. Additionally, many CS:GO fans missed out on watching the debut of Gen.G against Complexity’s new lineup.
Community and Streamers Express Displeasure
The decision made by ESL has drawn criticism from CS:GO fans and prominent members of the community. Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill, a well-known freelancer commentator who has worked at several ESL events, openly questioned ESL’s choice, expressing frustration on Twitter.
Famous Brazilian caster and streamer Alexandre “gaules” Borba also raised concerns about ESL’s decision. He gained a significant audience of 30,000 viewers by casting matches between MIBR and INTZ, and FURIA and Chaos directly from HLTV’s scorebot.
Another instance highlighting the issue is when the English casting duo Vince Hill and Dustin “dusT” Mouret attempted to stream the match between Gen.G and Complexity. However, they did not receive any response from ESL, preventing them from streaming the game.
No Response from ESL
Despite the backlash and inquiries, ESL has not provided any comment regarding their decision.
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