The Biggest eSports Controversies of 2020 (So Far)

Where has the time gone?

God, what a decade it’s been since December of last year. Week after week, day after day of constant bombardment with some of the direst headlines to hit the news this century; uncontrollable fires, police brutality, systemic racism, a global plague and now a looming economic crisis as we pay the price to combat COVID. Amidst it all, it was easy for some of the most explosive stories from the eSports circuit to slip through the cracks, so with just a few scant weeks left ahead of us before 2020’s in the books, let’s recap some of the most outrageous stories to come out of eSports this year before it comes to a close.

In no particular order, we’ll begin with:

The EVO 2020 Rollercoaster

Okay, I’m kind of cheating here because this really is three or four stories on their own, but they all tie back to the same event: the Evolution Championship Series, or EVO, the mecca of fighting game tournaments. Usually hosted in Las Vegas, NV, the spread of Coronavirus early in the year forced organizers to cancel the live event and replace it with an online-only format. No big deal, right? Wrong. People online, particularly players and commentators, were quick to note that the original lineup of games to be played on the main stage had almost universally terrible online functionality thanks to their delay-based netcode. Those speculating that a lineup change was imminent were proven partly correct, as while the original roster remained unchanged (excepting Super Smash Bros. Ultimate), four open-invite side tournaments were scheduled specifically using games that could provide a stable online experience with superior rollback-based code, to the delight of many. Finally, EVO 2020 was set to go ahead, and it was shaping up to be a landmark in the tournament’s history, a crown jewel in its nearly 25-year history.

Image: EVO

Then it all came crashing down. At the start of July, less than a month away from the event, allegations of sexual assault and abuse of a minor were levelled online against event founder Joey ‘MrWizard’ Cuellar. The organization took steps to separate itself from Cuellar, almost immediately removing him from his position and issuing a statement condemning his behaviour, but the damage was already done. Sponsors pulled out, and developers revoked the rights for their games to be played on-stream. In less than a week’s time, EVO was cancelled.

Our 'Me Too ' Moment

It should be noted that the EVO scandal was preceded by a related, but more culturally significant series of events. In June, a Twitter user by the name of Hollowtide posted a tweet concerning a then-unnamed Destiny player with accusations of misconduct. It wasn’t until three popular streamers, JewelsVerne, SchviftyFive, and SheSnaps  took note and responded, identifying the figure in question as Twitch-affiliate SayNoToRage and sharing their own experiences with his brand of sexual harassment that things really started to pick up steam. The thing is this isn’t the first time we’ve been here, but there was a tangible difference in the proportion of supporters versus detractors this time around, and it seemed the majority was on the side of the victims. Soon, encouraged by the unusual outpouring of public support which contrasts starkly against the reception received in similar cases the summer prior, others began to follow suit. Furthermore, with community rallying behind them, they were able to put pressure on the biggest brand in streaming, Twitch, and persuaded them to take real, concrete action against the longstanding issue of harassment on their platform and by their partners. All told, by the end of June more than 70 women had come forward in naming their harassers and abusers, and the community saw a brief spark of belief that many believe is a signifier of bigger changes taking place within the gaming industry as a whole. Only time will tell if this proves to be the watershed moment some claim it to be, but if not then it's certainly not a bad place to start.

Hidden Predators

Image: U.S ARMY RECRUITING COMMAND

A completely different kind of predator than the ones previously listed, but when it comes to the bizarre chronicle of the United States Army’s eSports team and the subsequent controversy surrounding their blatant efforts to use the team and- by extension- the industry as a recruitment tool, the label just fits. The team was officially formed back in 2018, and operated out of Fort Bragg, but their high-profile status came around this year when they first made headlines for banning Twitch viewers for posting links to articles detailing the organization's documented history of war crimes, drawing criticism from both the community and Twitch itself. It didn't stop there though, as more and more complaints were directed at the organization including their predatory use of the team to pull in potential recruits (a fact they've never shied away from) as well as their now-infamous use of fake prize giveaways to essentially trick participants into signing enlistment papers. It came to a head in July when, with pressure mounting from all sides and accusations of violating the First Amendment (and more importantly Twitch's TOS), the Army announced that the team would be stepping back to take a break from streaming for a while. They've since resumed though, and with an increased fervor likely due to internal pressure. It's clear to onlookers that the Army sees this as little more than an opportunity to make up the 6'500-person recruitment shortfall they've projected this year, but the rest of the community has seen this for what it is: an authoritarian organization using entertainment to coerce the youth into signing away their lives and liberties. In short, some truly sinister stuff.

That about wraps it up from us, mainly because that's all we can mentally and emotionally handle right now. It's been an absolutely nutty ten months, so we're really just praying that whatever the next big blowup is it's not ''military seeks to brainwash youth into service'' or ''notable figure turns out to be terrible person'' -level, you know?

So yeah, here's hoping.