In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, major esports organiser ESL has announced individuals or organisations "with apparent ties to the Russian government" will be barred from competing in its Pro League events, and that it will be pausing all competitions scheduled to run in the Commonwealth of Independent States region until a later time.
"We are all shocked and saddened by the Russian invasion into Ukraine and hope for a swift and peaceful resolution", the ESL wrote in a statement shared on its website. "After monitoring the situation, we are now putting an initial set of actions in place.". These actions include "support [for] the people suffering from the current tragedy with donations to UNHCR, paid time off for employees to volunteer for humanitarian relief and paid time off for affected colleagues."