Capcom has banned two professional Street Fighter V players from all events after they made derogatory comments during gameplay.
Competitive play of online video games is often fraught with tension and intensity. Watch any livestream on Twitch and chances are you’ll hear plenty of profanity. However, some remarks can cross the line, especially during tournaments. Game companies and event organizers tend to quickly take action when such a situation occurs, and this recently happened when Capcom delivered the banhammer to two pro Street Fighter V players.
Street Fighter V Players Get the Boot
The two players in question are Dalauan “LowTierGod” Sparrow and Christina “CeroBlast” Tran. A video of the two during a livestream came to light two weeks ago. In that video, Sparrow made a number of derogatory comments about transexuals and homosexuals. As for Tran, she was heard saying the N-word multiple times in a separate match.
The reaction by Capcom was swift. The two Street Fighter V players have been banned from all events indefinitely. This includes bans from the Community Effort Orland tournament in December and the Evolution World Championships in July and August.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, a Capcom spokesperson said, “The player bans are expected to last through the 2020 season, at a minimum. After roughly a year, we will reassess each ban, taking into account any efforts each player may have made to make restitution to the community.”
Capcom also states that “prior behaviors were not a consideration” in the bans handed down against Sparrow and Tran. The game company adds that their “behavior after the bans will be a consideration when we review the bans at the conclusion of the 2020 season.”
Economic Impact
Bans on professional players can potentially cost them a lot of money. The prize pools for many eSports tournaments are quite high. The 2019 Capcom Cup had a total prize pool of US$250,000. The overall winner received $120,000 while second place got $50,000.
Another blow could be the loss of sponsors or losing a spot on a professional team. If a pro isn’t playing in tournaments, then the reason for sponsoring them goes away. Finding oneself in the banning crosshairs could cost a pro player a lot of money.
It is interesting to see the evolution of what is acceptable speech for online gaming. Most gamers love to talk smack, and insults that were commonplace or just ignored a few years ago could now run afoul of the powers that be.
Images courtesy of Flickr/BagoGames, YouTube/Capcom USA, and YouTube/Capcom Fighters.
Source: https://bitcoinerx.com/video-games/two-street-fighter-v-pro-players-get-bans/
