The initial announcement that the next Rainbow Six Major would be taking place in Abu Dhabi was met with a lot of criticism from fans, who were opposed to organizing such an event in a location that has long had issues with LGBT rights. Homosexuality is outlawed in the UAE and with Rainbow Six being one of the frontrunners when it comes to LGBT+ rights, a Major in Abu Dhabi seemed hypocritical to the Rainbow Six community.
RB6 Esports released a statement on the matter on their Twitter page, saying they’ve heard the fans and will be choosing a different location to host the Major. “We have taken the decision to move the Six Major of August 2022 to another Rainbow Six Esports region with the exact location to be determined. In the spirit of fostering all our local communities around the world, in all their diversity, dedication and passion for the game, we will keep on developing and structuring our competitive activities in MENA.”
— Rainbow Six Esports (@R6esports) February 22, 2022
They also went on to speak out in their support of the LGBT+ community, as well as their determination to continue developing the MENA region, claiming to have been in contact with the UAE government and local organizers.
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