I am a big fan of professional gaming. Having been close to the competitive scenes in several different genres of game, I have seen first-hand the amount of dedication and hard work involved in becoming a professional gamer. The lack of professionalism in many professional gamers is a topic many people laugh about, while some of us are genuinely upset. Evil Geniuses has taken a stand on one aspect of this unprofessional behavior.
Evil Geniuses has teams in multiple games, including many extremely talented individuals. Greg “IdrA” Fields has been one of their Starcraft II players, and also well-known for his colorful interactions with his opponents. Recently, however, a fan of IdrA’s hypothesized his behavior was a result of him believing e-sports needs more vivid personalities. IdrA’s response?
Nope you’re all a bunch of fucks. It just so happens I get paid to treat you like it. It’s awesome.
When he made that comment turning that colorful contempt on his fans, instead, Evil Geniuses decided enough was enough. Fields has been officially let go from their team.
We, as a company, cannot and will not be supportive of anyone who does not show due respect and appreciation for the community that makes everything we do possible.
This. This is one of the most intelligent things I have ever heard come from anyone, much less any company, working in the world of e-sports. The contempt shown to the people who make Fields’ way of living even possible is, ironically, contemptible in itself.
The casual disregard for basic manners and propriety, the ease with which many of the players of these popular games devolve while in the heat of the moment is a problem that needs to be addressed, rather than accepted, if these players truly want to be taken seriously by the world at large.
Yet even within the world where such behavior is accepted, turning that attitude on others outside of the game? On your own fans no less? We call you professional gamers for a reason, and given how seriously some of these companies are taking the possibility of e-sports continuing to grow, it is high time these gamers learn what it really means to be a professional. Anyone can earn a paycheck.
Ironically, IdrA, now you do not get paid to treat us like fucks.
