G2 suspends CEO Carlos Rodriguez after posting a video with Andrew Tate

G2 Esports Founder and Chief Executive Producer Carlos “ocelote” Rodríguez Santiago has been suspended for eight weeks following the release of a clip showing him partying with controversial figure Andrew Tate.

Carlos shared a clip of himself on September 17 partying with the former kickboxer Andrew Tate, who is notorious on the internet for his anti-woman narratives. The video received over 1.7 million views after the tweet instantly became popular on social media. Many Twitter users voiced their dissatisfaction at seeing Carlos hanging out with Tate. 

 

Following some initial outrage, the CEO doubled down and asserted that no one can control who he is friends with. It sparked widespread anger among the gaming community and despite his apology the controversy resulted in his two-month suspension today from G2. He won’t get paid during that time and won’t participate in the organization’s esports operations, including the 2022 League of Legends World Championship.

 

Fans slam Rodriguez’s hypocrisy on social media

For partying with Andrew Tate and then defending it, the majority of social media users dubbed Rodriguez a hypocrite. Some even asserted that Rodriguez’s actions could serve as engagement bait for Tate to expose the young esports fans to his allegedly misogynistic mindset. The esports community, which has always stood by the organization through good times and bad, has seemed to be disappointed with Rodriguez and, to a lesser extent, against G2. 

It’s not what he did that has the community enraged; it’s who he did it with. Emory Andrew Tate III is a well-known internet personality and professional kickboxer who is famous for his misogynistic beliefs. The notorious figure, dubbed “The King of Toxic Masculinity,” got recently banned from all major social media platforms due to his divisive views on women. After Romanian police searched his residence in April of this year, he was also linked to a probe into claims of human trafficking. Despite Tate’s denials of culpability and assertions that he did nothing wrong, the investigation is still going on.

 

Rodriguez, however, apologized for his earlier statements, saying he would stand up and accept the repercussions of his remarks. It’s strange that, as of the time of writing, he hasn’t taken down either the original video or the post defending it. The sexual harassment and sexual discrimination allegations against TSM and Activision had already shocked the gaming industry and esports enthusiasts. A connection to a self-described misogynist in such circumstances will not only damage G2’s reputation but may also create a lasting negative impression on women in esports.

Header: Riot Games