The ALGS Split One Playoffs kicked off on Feb. 2, bringing peak Apex Legends esports to London, United Kingdom.
But the tournament has already faced controversy with a fan claiming on Twitter that security allegedly forced them to put away the Ukrainian flag they brought to support Pioneer player Max-Strafe—who is competing online due to travel restrictions thanks to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The player later shared the tweet, saying he was grateful for fans who “expressed support towards the Ukrainians and the terrible situation in which we find ourselves (WAR).”
One of the fans, named Mark, told Dot Esports he was able to cheer for Maxstrafe with the Ukrainian flag through the first match. He appeared in the broadcast waving the flag, but before the second match, security approached him and threatened to confiscate it if he didn’t hide it from the cameras.
“When I tried to explain to the staff member that I am Ukrainian, what the flag means to me, and why I would like to fly it, he stated that flags are prohibited (something that was not made clear before),” he explained.
Following the incident, EA reportedly announced today that “political signs or flags that are not competition related” would be removed.
Max-Strafe is a Ukrainian player who has been unable to participate in four consecutive ALGS LAN tournaments because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
He wasn’t able to attend London’s offline event as well, and fans hoped to support him from afar using flags. Since there are no Ukrainian players in the arena, EA might consider flags of the country “not competition-related.”
Dot Esports reached out to EA Games and Esports Engine for comment, but they have yet to provide an answer.
