The Overwatch League has taken disciplinary action against three players and a coach, Blizzard has recently confirmed.
First, Houston Outlaws coach Tae-yeong ‘TaiRong’ Kim received a formal warning over an offensive meme posted to social media. TaiRong issued an apology to the public alongside a donation to the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation ahead of any disciplinary action; this was taken into account when deciding his punishment.
Next, Los Angeles Valiant’s Ted ‘Silkthread’ Wang was fined $1,000 USD for violating the Blizzard End User License Agreement by engaging in account sharing.
The final two punishments were dolled out to players on the Dallas Fuel, Timo ‘Taimou’ Kettunen and Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel. Taimou was fined $1,000 USD for using anti-gay slurs in a personal stream, whicle xQc was suspended for four matches and fined $4,000 for using disparaging language alongside offensive emotes.
“It is unacceptable for members of the Overwatch League to use or distribute hateful, racist or discriminatory speech or memes,” the organisation said in a statement. “It is important for all members to be aware of the impact their speech may have on others. The overwhelming majority of Overwatch League players and staff are taking full advantage of the opportunity to play in the first major global, city-based esports league, and are rising to meet the occasion as the public figures that they are.
“We are committed to building a community around the Overwatch League that is welcoming and inclusive for all players and fans, and we hope these disciplinary actions demonstrate our seriousness in that endeavor.”
In the wake of the announcements, the Dallas Fuel and xQc announced they have “mutually agreed to part ways.”
“There are few players out there who have achieved as much success in as short a time as Félix has in competitive Overwatch. Ultimately, it was in the best interest of our organization and Félix to part ways before the expiration of his contract,” Dallas Fuel owner Mike Rufail said in a statement.
“No one wants to see Félix succeed more than we do, and we believe he has a bright future ahead of him. I want to thank him for his time and the passion he brought to the Dallas Fuel.”
As part of his league suspension, xQc will not be permitted to play or practice with any Overwatch League team for the remainder of Stage 2.
What do you make of these recent Overwatch League developments? The league posted its Code of Conduct just last month.
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