Raiku and Swapxy getting banned indefinite ban

[Funkyjunky]

For reference; the awc rules they broke:

(a) Players must at all times observe the highest standards of personal integrity and
good sportsmanship. Players are required to behave in a professional and
sportsmanlike manner in their interactions with other competitors, Tournament
organizers and members of the administration team, the media, sponsors and fans.
This includes but is not limited to the following: conduct on social media, live
streams, videos, in-person at events and on stage, or anything public-facing. What
qualifies as “sportsmanlike manner” is up to Blizzard’s sole discretion.

(b) Players may not use obscene gestures, profanity, or references to drugs, sex or
violence in their Team Names, BattleTags, player handles, game chat, lobby chat
live interviews or any public facing media. This rule applies to English and all other
languages and includes abbreviations and/or obscure references.

.. and a friendly reminder that this is a onesided story. Maybe there is more to it..

[Proskill]

i only dont use the n and f-word because its bannable in all multiplayer games since like a decade now

[qwerty123456]

That doesn't refute my point at all.

So your saying if you call someone a dumb redneck your racist against whites?

[Makorus]

So your saying if you call someone a dumb redneck your racist against whites?

The insult "redneck" has nothing to do with your race.

[xmirrors]

I think there is some merit to the argument that people say dumb things in the heat of the moment and that they shouldn't be punished so harshly for it.

That does not apply here.

I listened to the audio and it's.....well......it's bad. This isn't a random 'n word' thrown out of frustration or anger. This is casual use of the word as if it were a normal part of their conversations. I won't go as far as to say they are literally racists, but clearly they are very immature and never grew up, and are now starting to face the consequences. Justifiable.

I think it's also important to note that the bans are indefinite - if their behavior improves and they show true remorse and work to better themselves there is a very real possibility they can return to the scene.

[Dazmalak]

The insult "redneck" has nothing to do with your race.

From wikipedia:
Redneck is a derogatory term chiefly, but not exclusively, applied to white Americans perceived to be crass and unsophisticated, closely associated with rural whites of the Southern United States.[1][2] Its usage is similar in meaning to cracker (especially regarding Texas, Georgia, and Florida), hillbilly (especially regarding Appalachia and the Ozarks),[3] and white trash (but without the last term's suggestions of immorality).[4][5][6] In Britain the Cambridge Dictionary definition states: "a poor, white person without education, esp. one living in the countryside in the southern US, who is believed to have prejudiced ideas and beliefs. This word is usually considered offensive."[7] People from the white South sometimes jocularly call themselves "rednecks" as insider humor.[8]

[Lorgar Aurelian]

God, we surely have the most fragile society in human history.

well ya now when you use insults that people take offence to you cry and bitch and moan that your actions have consequences, in the past you'd just die in an honor duel without bitching and moaning about it.

[Sooba]

It's fucking hilarious the amount of times "SJW's", "snowflakes" and other pathetic monikers are coming out in a fucking blizzard from people who are whining, bitching, and crying about consequences for acting the asshole. Then they turn around and say others are fragile. Consequences, son. Learn to not act like an entitled twit and shit like this won't happen.

This is followed up by the equally hilarious "I am an asshole to minorities on the regular with the way I talk, so everybody else must be too" statements. Like, no? I don't actually randomly throw out a bunch of racist (etc) epithets every time I'm upset? It's the lowest of bars. And people are actually floored that there are people who clear it? So much so that they don't believe those people exist? Holy shit.

[Magical Mudcrab]

Sounds like they were banned from competetive WoW and not from playing the game if I got that right. If they straight out banned them from the game it's a pretty dumb move.

I agree, I hope this is not a ban from Blizzard games altogether just as it would set a bad precedent for off-platform policing. That said, I completely understand Blizzard taking a hard stance on not wanting to be associated with racist language, especially with the ever increasing prevalence of BLM and police brutality in the US, combined with the continued racist rhetoric from some political candidates. Being selected to go to Blizzard events is sort-of a vote of confidence on their end, whether they want it to be the case or not, so it makes sense that they would distance themselves from players by banning them from Blizzard esports events.

[Mirishka]

If you're mad and your first instinct is to call someone a ni**er/fag/etc, you are the fucking problem. This isn't politics, this isn't 'SJWs ruining games', it begins and ends with people consciously choosing to be pieces of shit by using words that have a lot of history and pain behind them.

If you do that, you deserve what's coming to you. Whether its a ban or a stiff punch in the fucking mouth.

[Magical Mudcrab]

I've said it before and I'll say it again; calling someone a nigger isn't and doesn't automatically make you racist.

If you're calling them that with the intent of calling them that, then you are necessarily a racist. If you're just having a gamer bro moment, then you're not a racist, you just have serious self control issues that should be dealt with.

[Gaebryel Quintyne]

If you're mad and your first instinct is to call someone a ni**er/fag/etc, you are the fucking problem. This isn't politics, this isn't 'SJWs ruining games', it begins and ends with people consciously choosing to be pieces of shit by using words that have a lot of history and pain behind them.

If you do that, you deserve what's coming to you. Whether its a ban or a stiff punch in the fucking mouth.

I agree with this fully. People just don't understand nowadays that their actions have consequences, no matter what kind of actions they may be.

[Cerus]

So basically someone leaked some vods with some unsavory shit (dropping n-bombs) and Blizz banned the dudes.

Raikus statement: https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sreglf

"I said the n-word one time and one time a modified version of it), but that does not make me a racist." - Lol, stressed out and angry calling someone n-slur as an insult is pretty fucking textbook racist behaviour.

On the one hand, I'm disappointed since these lads have been on top of their game for so long and pretty much the best EU team there is, but on the other hand I'm glad that the deep seeped racism of the WoW scene gets pulled out in the open because no matter what people in denial say, our scene is disgustingly toxic and racist and people use alot of racial slurs like "jew" as insults to this day.



Also this is where he just shoots himself on the foot and soils his apology and turns the focus into playing the victim of some dirty scheme.

So I guess black people are racist since they call each other that all the time? Either a word is offensive and no one uses it or it isn’t and anyone can use it. Can’t have it both ways.

I have zero issues with homosexuals. I use the word fag all the time including to gay friends. Know how many fucks they or anyone else give?

Zero because they’re not sensitive snowflakes looking to be offended.

[Magical Mudcrab]

If you're mad and your first instinct is to call someone a ni**er/fag/etc, you are the fucking problem. This isn't politics, this isn't 'SJWs ruining games', it begins and ends with people consciously choosing to be pieces of shit by using words that have a lot of history and pain behind them.

If you do that, you deserve what's coming to you. Whether its a ban or a stiff punch in the fucking mouth.

Typically, from my understanding, it's not the word that matters when people say it in rage, it's just an explicative. Any derogatory term could be replaced with another, less charged explicative and essentially mean the same thing to the individual - a largely unintelligible cry of rage.

Obviously if someone is using toxic language they should, preferably, try and learn self control so they don't feel the need to have random outbursts. If this is something they don't have the ability to do, they should then simply try and catch themselves when they know they're getting angry and substitute the more insensitive words with another explicative and build a habit where they're yelling 'fucking fuck' rather than something racist.

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I agree with this fully. People just don't understand nowadays that their actions have consequences, no matter what kind of actions they may be.

When will they learn???

[Sooba]

If you're calling them that with the intent of calling them that, then you are necessarily a racist. If you're just having a gamer bro moment, then you're not a racist, you just have serious self control issues that should be dealt with.

The action is still racist, my friend. Whether the person is themselves are a malignant racist is honestly beside the point. The action is racist. Ergo, if they are engaging in it, they are being racist.

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Typically, from my understanding, it's not the word that matters when people say it in rage, it's just an explicative. Any derogatory term could be replaced with another, less charged explicative and essentially mean the same thing to the individual - a largely unintelligible cry of rage.

You're trying to argue intent, which again is largely irrelevant. It's impact that makes the action racist in this case. If they're using the N-word as a general insult, it's still an implication that being black is a negative thing. That is inherently racist. Much the same that using "gay" as an insult implies that being gay is a bad thing. Thus inherently homophobic, whether or not they actually hate gay people.

This is basic social awareness. Ignoring it or trying to defend it is already on the way to being purposefully racist, because the person is refusing to acknowledge the pain they are causing. That's just being a textbook asshole. Something that, (surprise!) occasionally comes with consequences.

[Mirishka]

So I guess black people are racist since they call each other that all the time? Either a word is offensive and no one uses it or it isn’t and anyone can use it. Can’t have it both ways.

I have zero issues with homosexuals. I use the word fag all the time including to gay friends. Know how many fucks they or anyone else give?

Zero because they’re not sensitive snowflakes looking to be offended.

That's a useless, tired cliché of an argument. But coming from someone that boasts about calling his gay friends fags, it is entirely unsurprising.

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I agree with this fully. People just don't understand nowadays that their actions have consequences, no matter what kind of actions they may be.

Exactly. We live among a generation of idiots that think 'freedom of speech' means 'devoid of consequences'.

[munkeyinorbit]

This seems like a big nothing. Bliz cutting ties financially would be one thing, but this seems excessive. I'm not even sure Bliz has the right to pull this move since it was done through an out of game source. They can certainly cut sponsoring them in tournaments, but not ban their accounts. Cancel culture is one of the most toxic and evil things permeating society today.

Even more toxic than being a racist? It doesn't matter how you defend being a racist, society in general doesn't want it. If you don't want to be cancelled for being a racist then stop being a racist. There's no defence.

[Lubefist]

Stop whinging about "cancel culture" everytime some racist/misogynistic/whatever piece of shit gets held accountable for his actions.

[Mirishka]

The action is still racist, my friend. Whether the person is themselves are a malignant racist is honestly beside the point. The action is racist. Ergo, if they are engaging in it, they are being racist.

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You're trying to argue intent, which again is largely irrelevant. It's impact that makes the action racist in this case. If they're using the N-word as a general insult, it's still an implication that being black is a negative thing. That is inherently racist. Much the same that using "gay" as an insult implies that being gay is a bad thing. Thus inherently homophobic, whether or not they actually hate gay people.

This is basic social awareness. Ignoring it or trying to defend it is already on the way to being purposefully racist, because the person is refusing to acknowledge the pain they are causing. That's just being a textbook asshole. Something that, (surprise!) occasionally comes with consequences.

Well said. It is indefensible because there are a million ways to insult someone that don't involve going after race or orientation.

[TEHPALLYTANK]

Saying the N-word isn't really racist in Sweden. Sorry.

Being slightly racist is still being racist, which is kind of the key problem here.