Overwatch League Drops Hammer On 4 Players For Violations

Overwatch League is dropping the hammer in the way of fines and other disciplinary actions on four league players, the league announced on Friday.

According to their announcement:

Timo “Taimou” Kettunen, of the Dallas Fuel, is fined $1,000 for using anti-gay slurs on his personal stream.

Tae-yeong “TaiRong” Kim, of the Houston Outlaws, has received a formal warning for posting an offensive meme on social media.

Ted “Silkthread” Wang, of the Los Angeles Valiant, is fined $1,000 for account sharing, a violation of the Blizzard End User License Agreement. (TaiRong issued an unprompted public apology, and made a donation to the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation)

Félix “xQc” Lengyel, of the Dallas Fuel, is suspended for four matches, effective March 12, and fined $4,000. xQc repeatedly used an emote in a racially disparaging manner on the league’s stream and on social media, and used disparaging language against Overwatch League casters and fellow players on social media and on his personal stream. Previously, xQc has been warned, fined, and suspended for similar infractions.

The Overwatch League the re-iterated their stance:

It is unacceptable for members of the Overwatch League to use or distribute hateful, racist, or discriminatory speech or memes. 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 that these disciplinary actions demonstrate our seriousness in that endeavor.