“There will always be consequences”: canezerra’s VALORANT ban is a reminder that you need more than skills to be a professional gamer

Last week, i THE VALORANT The esports community has been bombarded by the unexpected news of the duelist prodigy Alex “canezerra” Banyasz to receive a 12-month hardware ban on all Riot Games titles.

This includes the sport he dedicated the last three years of his life to in an effort to qualify for a Tier 2 state and move up to VCT Americas as part of ENVY last year. canezerra was less than two months away from turning 18, the minimum age required to participate in the VALORANT Champions Tour and finally compete against some of the most respected names in his field.

“I made a big mistake and said things that I deeply regret. There are no excuses. I’m very sorry to my fans, ENVY, Riot, and all the supporters – I let you down,” admitted canezerra in his public statement on X (formerly Twitter).

At the same time, ENVY publicly announced the termination of canezerra’s contract with the North American esports organization. According to ENVY’s statement, the reason for the ban was “repeated violations of [Riot Games’] Terms of Service.” However, no further details about the nature of this breach have been shared, and there has been no official statement from Riot Games.

This invisibility, combined with the severity of the sentence, has created a breeding ground for heated disputes within the VALORANT community, among fans, content creators, players, and other game stakeholders. Was Riot too brutal? Did the penalty kill the career of the future star?

If esports wants to be taken seriously as a sport, it needs participation. It needs to concern itself with matters of integrity and sportsmanship. And it needs to be represented by people who embody these values.

We’ve all heard the stereotype of players who just refuse to die – that we’re the only ones who can’t interact with people and the “real world.” And although they are often baseless, there is a grain of truth in them. The sports and sports communities still struggle with toxicity and abuse to this day. Even on the professional side, our industry still lacks equal opportunities and safe spaces for minorities and other marginalized groups.

And who is watching the media when they are involved in sports? Who do fans and young players look up to? They are all looking for the most prominent faces in our field. They watch professional players compete on stage, answer interview questions, or broadcast their game on broadcast platforms.

“When you become a professional player, whether you like it or not, you become a famous person and in fact become a promoter/mascot in a team/sport, which means you have to know your actions and your words,” argued user X while discussing the Canezerra case.

Professional players definitely shape the way our scene is viewed. But they also represent what kind of behavior is accepted or demanded even at the highest level of competition. Impressionable followers strive to be exactly like their role models, whether their role models agree or not. That kind of power should only be given to those who can use it responsibly, in my opinion.

In addition, the unique situation of professional players in our scene can be used to make a positive impact. Whether it’s in or out of the game, professional players should strive to resist destructive behavior or, at the very least, lead by example.

ENVY’s decision to drop canezerra from the organization may seem harsh, but from a business perspective, it was the only decision to make. This is where esports turns its back on the passion and excitement of competition to reveal its cold, brutal side.

As the face of the sport, pro players act as ambassadors for their sport, their organization, and the sponsors and partners they are affiliated with – for better or for worse. If a player’s behavior could jeopardize a business relationship or funding stream, that player becomes a liability.

“It doesn’t matter how famous, hard working, or talented someone is; there will always be consequences,” emphasized the VALORANT professional player, Ethan “Ethan” Arnold on social media. “I don’t know when this concept was lost on so many people a few years ago, but it was a very popular thing when I started esports 10 years ago.

“Your image as a person is EVERYTHING today, and it’s surprising that orgs/peers don’t try to help or train you for it, especially with the increased use of social media and the impact it has on our lives and work.”

A player’s conduct cannot simply terminate partnership agreements. It can also damage the brand in the eyes of esports consumers, leading to a weaker brand, fewer fans, and fewer business prospects in the long term.

For example, some members of the community brought up allegations that canezerra previously faced regarding hate speech and joking about sexual harassment, and accused ENVY of not checking the background of its players.

Although many members of the public and sports experts agree that violations of the Terms of Service and poisoning should be fined, the length of canezerra’s ban has been the subject of controversy.

“Can high-level players say anything and not get banned for three days?” is asked LP porridgeFounder and Owner of the esports organization Lost Puppies. “This is an unbelievable decision what the f***???

“You can say ‘maybe they’re making an example of him,’ but you’re going to see 10 times more bad behavior in your standard games that aren’t completely blocked.

But what’s the point of arguing about the length of the ban if we don’t know with 100% certainty what behavior is responsible for Riot Games’ decision? Whichever side of the argument you’re on, you’re just guessing.

I think there’s a different topic to explore here: the power untested publishers hold within their esports game ecosystem. As the owners of the games to which we dedicate our private lives and expertise, publishers choose how we engage with esports and who we engage with.

Is that something we should just accept? Or should that power be limited or at least overseen by independent bodies?

As we established, game publishers are businessesand sometimes, business interests and competitive ethics do not align. One case that comes to mind is that of a Hearthstone pro player Ng “blitzchung” Wai-chungwho was punished with a 12-month ban and forfeiture of his winnings in 2019 following public statements in support of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests. The penalty was later reduced by Blizzard Entertainment in response to public backlash, with the public accusing the company of setting an example at BlizzCon to protect its relationship with Chinese business partners.

Riot Games is known for taking a strong stance against certain factions and player behavior. Last year, for example, the publisher issued a 12-month non-competition ban on Joseph “Ban” Seung-min as a VALORANT player “you are likely to engage in similar maintenance-related activities.”

“Chaos makes it clear what kind of society they want to create and what level of behavior it will tolerate,” wrote a VALORANT host. Marcus “Marks” Wong following the news of canezerra. “It draws a clear line in the sand. If you don’t like that, you’re probably not the kind of person who wants to stick with it.”

“The fact that he can’t even play a game or broadcast for an entire year, and the destruction of his organization and competition, in my opinion, is disgusting.” Soon you will be 18 years old with an amazingly bright future,” wrote VALORANT content producer Connor “PROD” Moran in response to canezerra’s ban. “There are many different ways to deal with a situation like this and choose the scary one. Massive L from Riot Games.”

Did Riot Games ruin the career of a rising VALORANT star? Ccnezerra will likely need to establish a personal brand outside of VALORANT if he wishes to remain relevant until the hardware ban expires. But he has started to do just that with his latest Counter-Strike broadcast. In addition, examples such as Jay “sinatraa” Won they have proven that it is possible to build a thriving streaming business despite serious allegations and disagreements with Riot Games.

And I don’t think a player’s career should affect in-game penalties. Due to the safe environment within the game, every participant, regardless of their social status or position, must adhere to the same code of conduct. Everyone must be held accountable for breaking the rules. As discussed earlier, professional players should be treated equally more level because of their inevitable role as role models in and out of the game.

Many professional players begin their competitive journey at a young age, and often internalize their unique position in the scene early on.

As described by content creator VALORANT Splash: “Since I was 14 years old and started being watched by NCAA basketball coaches, I knew how to make sure that I had to be responsible when it came to coaches and scouts who monitored social media, my behavior in both public and private settings had to be high, and I just got out of trouble or conflict.”

Well, I guess Colin “CoJo” JohnsonThe Senior Team Director of Fnatic VALORANT, raised an important point about the responsibility of sports organizations to young talent.

“It’s up to the veterans, GMs, and coaches to actually confirm this bad practice IN THE TIME and not after it has spread,” highlighted CoJo on social media. “A lot of people are afraid to hold famous players and young talents accountable, or they just ignore it completely.

“It’s our responsibility to produce good people – not just good players, especially when we get them out of high school/university, and they may be at risk of going online/social media.”