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Blizzard’s Overwatch World Cup is back after a three-year hiatus, but the beginning of the competition has already been mired with controversy in some regions.
During the first weekend of the Europe and Middle East Conference (EMEC) qualifiers, Saudi Arabian streamer and professional player Majed “Alivelol” Alqudaibi of Onyx Ravens and Emirati streamer Mohammed “Legendary” Saif of Triple Esports were co-streaming when they used derogatory terms on trans caster Cassi “CeeBee” Brown.
In the stream, both streamers could be heard laughing, with Legendary and Alivelol using the terms in their conversation.
The clip of the stream sparked backlash after Poland’s Tank player FOREVER774 tweeted about it, following their loss to the Saudis.
This prompted a response from Blizzard, with Legendary getting banned from all official Overwatch esports programmes, as announced on 28 June by the Overwatch Path to Pro Twitter account.
The statement did not mention the actual name of the streamer, but based on the clip and the public backlash, it was confirmed that both Alivelol and Legendary were involved.
The statement also apologised to “any community members who were hurt by the language used.” They also took the opportunity to remind the tournament participants of the game’s code of conduct.
“When participating in communication of any kind (chat, voice, communication, group finder), you are responsible for how you express yourself. You may not use language that could be offensive or vulgar to others,” the statement read.
Blizzard’s decision means that the streamer banned won’t be able to play in any Overwatch tournaments for a year or co-stream any Overwatch 2 games, for that matter.
Legendary also retweeted the decision with a hand raised and a “relieved face” emoji. However, the player received positive support from some within the Emirati and the Saudi community, with some calling him the “goat” and others offering encouragement.
Overwatch community call out streamers after incident
Many popular Overwatch casters and personalities spoke out against the slurs thrown by the banned streamers.
Retired Overwatch coach Jacob “JAKE” Lyon posted his thoughts on Twitter, saying, “Trans rights are human rights. Trans people are people. It’s not a revolutionary idea; it’s obvious. Human dignity comes first.”
Meanwhile, Canadian caster Jennifer “LemonKiwi” Pichette tagged Legendary in her tweet, telling him to “Leave Overwatch and never come back.”
Streamer and former support player Connor “Avast” Prince also tweeted after the incident, adding, “if you are in the Overwatch community or beyond and spread hate to our trans brothers and sisters, you suck.”
Legendary last participated in the Overwatch Contenders 2023 Spring Series: Europe earlier this month, with their team finishing third.
On the other hand, Alivelol last competed in the Saudi eLeague 2023 Season 1, with his team ending up in 5th to 6th place. Both streamers appeared on a co-stream during the EMEC World Cup Qualifiers over the weekend.
Both Onyx Ravens and Triple Esports have not said anything regarding the matter.
Anna is a freelance writer and photographer. She is a gamer who loves RPGs and platformers, and is a League of Legends geek. She’s also a food enthusiast who loves a good cup of black coffee.
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