Blizzard takes disciplinary action against four Overwatch League players

In the three months since it started, the Overwatch League has had a variety of player related incidents, and on Friday, Blizzard announced its largest wave of disciplinary action yet.

In a post on the league’s official website, Blizzard laid out the punishments handed down to four different players for various infractions against the league’s player code of conduct.

The first measure was taken against Dallas Fuel player Timo “Taimou” Kettunen who used a homophobic slur during his personal stream back in January. According to Blizzard, Kettunen, who has since apologized for his actions, will be fined $1,000.

The second disciplinary action relates to Korean coach Kim “TaiRong” Tae-yeong of the Houston Outlaws, who was issued a formal warning for posting an offensive meme on social media. Kim apologized shortly after and made a charitable donation as part of his apology. According to Blizzard, these actions were taken into account when determining Kim’s punishment.

Los Angeles Valiant player Ted “Silkthread” Wang was also issued a fine of $1,000, according to Blizzard’s statement, due to account sharing, an action expressly forbidden in the game’s End User License Agreement.

The final disciplinary measure outlined in Blizzard’s post was for Felix “xQc” Lengyel, a player who has had disciplinary issues in the past. Lengyel’s most recent actions include the repeated use of an emote in a “racially disparaging manner” the Overwatch League’s stream chat, as well as using disparaging language against OWL’s casters and players on social media, as well as on his personal stream. For these infractions, Lengyel will be fined $4,000 and serve a suspension of four games starting on March 12. This will be Lengyel’s second suspension and fine for his behavior, though there was no word in this post if further infractions would result in more serious punishment.

Blizzard closed its statement on these disciplinary actions by making it clear that these kinds of infractions by players will not be tolerated, and go against the goals of inclusiveness that Blizzard wants to create for both its players and fans.

“It is unacceptable for members of the Overwatch League to use or distribute hateful, racist, or discriminatory speech or memes. It is important for all members to be aware of the impact their speech may have on others,” Blizzard said.