When the Overwatch League began on Jan 10th, many gamers may have doubted the potential of the eSports league; however, during the Dallas Fuel vs Seoul Dynasty game on the first day, the league reach 473,000 viewers, with the overall week reaching an impressive total number of views. Although this trending league has only been active for a short period, a Dallas Fuel player has already been suspended.
During a post-game stream, Dallas Fuel player Felix Lengyel, better known as “xQc,” graphically insulted Austin “Muma” Wilmot – a Houston Outlaws player. The insult violated community standards for the Overwatch League, and Lengyel was subsequently suspended. The insult seemed to come as a result of Wilmot using a phrase coined by Lengyel, but that does not justify the action.
After Wilmot’s use of Lengyel’s “rolled and smoked” phrase, Lengyel – who wasn’t even playing - proceeded to yell, “No, you didn’t smoke sh*t. Shut your f*cking mouth. Go back there, suck a fat c*ck. I mean, he would like that.” The final dig might be considered extremely over-the-top considering Wilmot is openly gay. Although Wilmot did not appreciate the comment at first, the two have since made amends via social media.
Regardless, Lengyel’s suspension stood, with Dallas Fuel announcing that he would not be active in the latest match and “additional details forthcoming.” With the Overwatch league gaining new, powerful sponsors like Toyota, it seems obvious why everyone involved would want the eSports league to take a stand on comments like this. The decision here seems sure to set a precedent as the League moves forward.
The length of Lengyel’s suspension is unknown at the time of this writing; it may have been the one game, or it may be more. While the Dallas Fuel may be a man down, the Overwatch league continues to move forward. It is available to view now on Blizzard’s website, the Major League Gaming website, and Twitch, which recently received exclusive rights to the League.
Overwatch is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.