Players allegedly banned from Chongqing Major due to racism

The government in Chongqing China has apparently banned two players from participating in the upcoming Chongqing Major. This came after racial remarks were made earlier this month.

Earlier this month, Complexity player Rolen Andrei Gabriel ‘Skemberlu‘ Ong caused controversy after making racial remarks against Chinese team, Royal Never Give Up (RNG). The situation occurred during the teams’ match against one another at the Dreamleague Season 10 Minor. Around the same time, Carlo ‘Kuku‘ Palad from TNC Predator made a similar remark in a public game.

Although Complexity was quick to punish and fine Skemberlu, Valve did not respond quickly to the situation. Due to this, the Chinese community became upset. Now, it seemed that both the government and tournament organizer have taken matters into their own hands. According to KBBQ, Forward Gaming’s manager, and Cyborgmatt, Director of Operations for Team Secret, they have seemingly issued bans on both Skemberlu and Kuku, preventing them from participating the Chongqing Major.

it's not a rumor, the municipal government met to discuss after outrage and anger grew over what people in China felt was an inadequate or delayed response and reportedly came to the organizer saying: "this event cannot have these two players"
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— KBBQ (@KBBQDotA) November 24, 2018

It's not a rumor. Skemberlu and Kuku are both banned from attending the Chongqing Major. Col and TNC were both contacted prior to the event and were asked if they wanted to kick the players.

There is still a chance that this ban can be extended and block them from attending TI9.

— Matthew Bailey (@Cyborgmatt) November 24, 2018

As of now, TNC has issued a statement on Kuku’s punishment. However, it is unlikely to see the Chinese government overturn the bans for now (if both players actually received the bans)

It is our best interest to educate our players to own up on their mistakes, take full responsibility and correct their wrong actions. To clarify the term "penalty/fine" we posted last time, 50% of Kuku's winnings from KL Major, Chongqing Major (if we qualify) 1/4

— TNC Predator (@TNCPredator) November 25, 2018

Valve’s response

Currently, it is unknown how Valve will step in to handle the situation. Valve issued a response to Xu ‘BurNing‘ Zhilei instead of directly addressing the Chinese community. This probably happened due to BurNing’s respected status in the Chinese community, allowing for better communication between parties. If Valve decides to take drastic measures, it will not be the first time they did so. Last year, they revoked the major status of Galaxy Battles after players complained about the organizers’ issues with privacy and other concerns. Furthermore, the Dota 2 community has raised concerns over the possibility that the Chinese government are allowed to ban players. This comes as no surprise as The International 2019 will take place in China. At the moment, the Chongqing Major will go on as scheduled.

Against the wishes of many teams, the major is still scheduled to go ahead in Chongqing at this moment in time.

The teams also believe that it would not be fair to punish TNC with DPC penalty points (-40% for a standin) if Kuku is refused entry into the country.

— Matthew Bailey (@Cyborgmatt) November 24, 2018