Two Pro Overwatch Players Suspended For Transphobia
thegamer.comThe Overwatch World Cup Qualifiers were overshadowed by homophobia, transphobia, and overall bigotry this weekend. In what was meant to be a return to competitive play after a three-year world cup hiatus, fans and pro players alike were instead caught in bitter arguments, as some in the community very vocally took issue with contestants using Pride Month profile pictures during games.
It all came to a head when two other pro players made abusive remarks about a trans caster. This was enough to finally get a response from Blizzard, as it has just been announced that the streamer has been "removed from all official OW esports programs moving forward." The players in the livestream are also said to have been hit with a year-long suspension, barred from competing until June 2024.
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Legendary and Alivelol, players for Triple Esports and Onyx Ravens respectively, won't be able to play in any Overwatch tournaments for a year, according to Liquipedia. They both played in Overwatch Contenders, one tier below Overwatch League, and appeared on a co-stream while the World Cup Qualifiers were on over the weekend.
In this stream - which is also blocked from future Overwatch Esports events - Legendary and Alivelol called a trans person an "animal", "pig", and "monkey", and suggested that trans people should not be involved with competitive Overwatch.
This came after a weekend full of Overwatch fans battling homophobes, as some viewers called out anyone who was using an LGBTQ+ pride flag profile picture in-game. Blizzard has not weighed into this argument but was quick to act on the statements made by Legendary and Alivelol.
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