G2 Esports has announced that Carlos Rodriguez has stepped down as the company’s Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.
The not-unexpected news came after the CEO was placed on eight-week leave in the past week after Twitter video emerged of him partying with the controversial figure Andrew Tate.
Tate, a former kickboxing professional is alleged to be a fervent misogynist and is also allegedly linked to a human trafficking ring.
Recently, a video of Tate abusing a woman also surfaced, which further put Rodriguez’s position as the face of G2 Esports in jeopardy.
Especially after his comments when the video of him and Tate partying was initially released.
Initial Indifference And Anger
When the first video was released last weekend on Twitter, a number of fans of G2 Esports, and other people with an interest in the esports industry, noted that Tate was alongside Rodriguez in the video, with many commenting on the lack of foresight of Rodriguez being linked with Tate.
However, Rodriguez issued a very forthright response initially, stating that “nobody will ever be able to police my friendships” and that he was free to socialise and party with “whoever the f**k I want.”
G2 Esports quickly reviewed the footage and felt that they had no option but to place Rodriguez on eight-week leave while they investigated further.
However, with public outcry growing and G2 being denied the opportunity to participate in the VALORANT franchising plan for a forthcoming VALORANT league in 2023, ostensibly due to Rodriguez association with Tate, it quickly became apparent that Rodriguez position with the esports team was untenable.
“Destroyed About It”
In a Twitter video posted on his personal account today, Rodriguez struck an entirely different tone to his initially belligerent response to those that questioned his interactions with Tate.
“I cannot believe what I am about to say now…my time at G2 [Esports] has come to an end,” Rodriguez stated before confirming he was stepping down as CEO.
“I take full responsibility for everything that went on in the last few days, and again trust me when I say – I just feel f***ing destroyed about it.”
In response G2 Esports issued their own statement addressed to the G2ARMY, which stated:
“It’s been a tough week for us all following the events of last weekend. Today we received, and accepted, Carlos’ announcement to step down as CEO of G2 Esports.”
“As a global esports organization serving the world’s most diverse fan-base, we tale responsibility to our fans, employees, team members, and partners across the world.”
“In this context, we want to underline that we do not support any form of misogyny. We continue to prioritize fostering inclusivity and supporting a diverse gaming community.”
Inevitable Decision
That Carlos Rodriguez’s long legacy with G2 Esports as a player, investor and then CEO has ended in such an unfortunate, and entirely avoidable demise, is one of the salutary stories in esports in recent times.
He left G2 Esports in an impossible position to allow him to stay, especially with the team promoting equality and inclusivity in esports by running a number of all-female teams, alongside their male counterparts.
There’s no doubt that when you look at esports and its long-term aims, inclusivity and removing misogyny is one of the primary driving forces not just for the future of esports,but also for the future of esports betting and the future of streaming and content creation within the wider esports industry too.
As such, Rodriguez’s removal from his role was inevitable and as yet, there has been no word on who will be set to replace him.