Do you want to know what’s next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry at GamesBeat Summit Next in October. Register today.
G2 Esports CEO Carlos Rodriguez Agreed to Take Eight Weeks Off unpaid leave on Monday after appearing in a video on Twitter celebrating a win with banned influencer Andrew Tate.
This reportedly resulted in G2 loses a franchise slot in Riot Games’ Valorant esports competition announced today. Riot Games Revealed 30 teams in the Valorant International Leagues today, and G2 wasn’t there.
Counter Strike reporter neL reported on Twitter that the reason G2 was left out was because of the controversy surrounding Rodriguez and Tate.
Rodriguez agreed to take unpaid leave after he posted a video of himself on Twitter on Saturday while celebrating with Tate, an influencer who was banned from TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram last month after complaints of terms of service violations such as hate speech and misogyny.
G2 had just won the 2022 League of Legends European Championship spring season and came second in the summer.
“No one will ever be able to control my friendships. I’m drawing my line here. I party with whoever I want,’ Rodriguez said: following complaints regarding the Tate video. On Sunday, G2 Esports tweeted: “Last night we let you down. Our CEO’s actions spoke a language that was in stark contrast to the value and culture that G2 lives and strives for, and for that we apologize. ”
And Rodriguez said: Sunday: “A lot of G2 fans were disappointed this weekend, causing confusion about what I stand for. It’s always been my consistent goal to stand for absolute equality of opportunity, no matter who you are or where you come from, and that’s what gaming is all about.”
G2 recently announced its first all-female League of Legends team. G2 was worth $340 million in May, according to a Forbes report. It would require a new evaluation in that regard. G2 and Riot did not respond to requests for comment.
The GamesBeat credo when talking about the game industry, is ‘where passion and business meet’. What does this mean? We want to tell you how important news is to you — not just as a decision maker in a game studio, but also as a game fan. Whether you’re reading our articles, listening to our podcasts, or watching our videos, GamesBeat helps you learn and have fun with the industry. Discover our briefings.
