Professional "Overwatch" player Felix Lengyel, better known by his in-game name of xQc, has been suspended and fined for homophobic statements he made against an opponent.
This decision was announced on the official Overwatch League website which stated that Lengyel would be suspended for four games and charged with a $2,000 fine for violating the Overwatch League Code of Conduct during his personal stream.
In addition to that, the Dallas Fuel, the team that Lengyel represents, has issued their own statement in support of the league's decision. The organization also announced that they will be suspending Lengyel for the remainder of Stage 1 of the League. Stage 1 ends on Feb. 10 and amounts to two more missed games on top of the original suspension.
A snippet of the Fuel's statement is as follows:
"In addition to the league's four-game suspension, we will be suspending xQc for the remainder of Stage 1. We believe in working with our players to help them become the best possible competitors, professionals and teammates. That includes work both inside and outside the competition for Felix."
Their full stance on the matter can be found here.
On Jan. 18, the Dallas Fuel lost against the Houston Outlaws with a score of 0–4. During a post-game interview, Outlaws player Austin "Muma" Wilmot parodied Lengyel's catchphrase, "Rolled and smoked, my doggies," with regard to how they swept their opponent. On the evening of the same day, Lengyel, who did not compete in the match, went on stream to say, "Shut your f****** mouth. Go back there. Suck a fat c***. I mean, you would like it."
The statement itself is bad enough, but compounding the matter is the fact that Wilmot is openly gay, which makes Lengyel's words come off as not only insulting and offensive but also homophobic.
While there has always been a stereotype of gamers being toxic people, especially in multiplayer games, professional players should behave in a way that is appropriate for their position and should be held accountable for their actions the same way other professional athletes are. It is good to see Blizzard setting an example that this kind of inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated.
