While fans of fighting games around the world have been eagerly awaiting events hosted by WePlay, a newcomer in the world of esports, they may find themselves feeling let down. On April 30th, NetherRealm Studios and Bandai Namco decided against teaming up with WePlay, leading to the cancellation of their planned tournaments. Therefore, the Mortal Kombat and Tekken competitions that WePlay had organized, complete with substantial prize pools, will no longer take place.
The specific reasons behind this decision have not been disclosed by either party. Both developers only offered vague explanations such as a "difference in professional standards." Neither the developers nor WePlay seemed interested in revealing the true reasons for the cancellation, despite the excitement and large sums of money involved.
However, it can be inferred that the issue with WePlay may stem from its association with the controversial gambling platform 1xBet, which is banned in the USA, Israel, and several European countries. 1xBet has been involved in promoting illegally dubbed TV shows in post-Soviet regions, backing "Pornhub casinos," and facilitating betting on children's sports in Africa. Clearly, not the most reputable company to be involved with. Nonetheless, this is just speculation and has not been confirmed by either party.
