Ubisoft has officially revealed the roadmap for both Rainbow Six Siege Year 7 and the Rainbow Six Siege esports division, which revealed a controversial event location. The Stage 2 Major is set to take place in the United Arab Emirates, which has fans concerned.
Ubisoft revealed the August event in its roadmap, confirming that the UAE would host an in-person tournament. This announcement has already started to receive criticism from both fans and prominent figures in the Rainbow Six Siege community. The country has a history of oppressing people, including members of the LGBTQ+ community. Its laws are incredibly harsh and inhumane, with any non-heterosexual relationship being illegal in the country, with the punishment ranging from time in prison to death.
The petition on change.org has gained nearly 4,000 signatures within a day of being posted, with its goal set at 5,000. The originator of petition wrote, “With the inclusion of LGBTQ+ members of R6:S talent, we believe as a collective that this decision is short-sighted, dangerous and backwards to the developing ideology of esports, Rainbow Six: Siege and its community. “
Notable Rainbow Six Siege streamer and community member Anne Munition took to Twitter to voice her displeasure with the decision. Munition asked for Ubisoft to reconsider the decision and move the event somewhere that celebrates the diversity shown within Rainbow Six Siege and other Ubisoft titles. Ubisoft has not yet publicly responded to the criticism.
