The social media team of G2 Esports has received criticism from VCT fans after their Valorant-focused X (formerly Twitter) account made a morbid ‘joke’ directed at Sentinels.
Despite losing the series, G2 secured a spot in the playoffs of VCT Americas Stage 1’s regular season as they won enough rounds against LOUD, ultimately knocking Sentinels out of playoff and Masters Shanghai contention during the final week of competition.
Despite the social media reactions, G2 Valorant’s official team account also responded, but their inappropriate joke has resulted in criticism from both VCT fans and personalities.
After securing their spot in the playoffs, G2’s Valorant account posted a picture of an emoji holding a G2 Classic gun to its mouth with the caption, “SEN fans right now.”
How a s*icide joke on mental health awareness month got approved by an entire social team / company is beyond me. https://t.co/mQdln9gYeT
— Nicholas (@Yehty_) May 6, 2024
The response to G2’s disturbing ‘joke’ has been extremely negative. Nicholas ‘Yehty’ Tesolin, an observer for VCT Americas, expressed his disbelief on Twitter, questioning how it was possible for an entire social media team or company to approve a suicide joke during Mental Health Awareness Month.
During a conversation about G2’s tweet, FlyQuest’s social media manager expressed their belief that one day esports social media will recognize the inappropriateness of joking about self-harm when a team loses. Brennon “Bren”Hook then responded to the tweet, questioning if the person responsible for the tweet had been “lobotomized at birth.”
Many other players also noted that it has not even been a year since the passing of Karel ‘Twisten’ Ašenbrener, a Valorant pro who died by suicide.
In case you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts and would like to speak with someone, please do not hesitate to reach out and contact the Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-8255 (USA), the Samaritans at 116-123 (UK), or Lifeline at 13-11-14 (AUS).
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