Riot Games deny forcing Carlos to step down and sell G2 shares following Andrew Tate controversy
Michal Konkol/Riot GamesFormer G2 Esports CEO Carlos ‘Ocelote’ Rodríguez was blacklisted by Riot Games, according to report from EsportsManiacos’ Yuste ‘Inyustificado’ Armero, following the controversy sparked by a video of him partying with Andrew Tate.
Andrew Tate has been one of the most talked-about figures on the internet in recent months. And now, a report by EsportsManiacos suggests that it was his involvement with G2 CEO Carlos ‘Ocelote’ Rodriguez that forced Ocelote to step down as G2’s CEO after heading the company since its inception in 2014.
The now well-publicized video of Ocelote apparently celebrating G2’s Worlds appearance with Tate has proven to be his undoing after being at the helm of the org for over eight years. The community blowback was almost instantaneous, but it was uncertain whether the repercussions would go any further than fan outrage.
Only a few days later, the repercussions proved to be significantly larger. G2 Esports failed to qualify for Riot’s new partnership system for Valorant in either EMEA or NA. They were one of the highest-profile organizations to fail to make the partnership scheme.
A few days later, Ocelote stepped down as CEO of the company, and sold his stake in G2 Esports. And according to the Esportsmaniacos report, this was a move demanded by Riot in order for G2 to retain their LEC spot.
The Riot Games Blacklist
Although he said he was waiting on one more source to confirm the rumors, Yuste stated during an episode of Esportsmaniacos’s Twitch show that “it appears as though Riot went to G2 and said that Ocelote was on their blacklist.”
“He can’t have any part in anything that has anything to do with Riot, and although it’s not certain yet it looks like he had to sell his stake in G2.”
If true, this will be one of the most high-profile incidences of Riot blacklisting a managerial member of a competing organization over their conduct. There have been sanctions placed against org owners previously within Riot’s ecosystem — the most recent example of which being TSM owner Andy ‘Reginald’ Dinh, who was fined $75,000 and made to undergo two years of probation along with sensitivity training.
G2 Esports and Ocelote himself also have yet to comment, with Ocelote merely stating that he had taken “full responsibility for everything that has happened over the past few days” in a video announcing his departure from G2.
Head of Esports for League of Legends in EMEA, Maximilian Peter Schmidt, put out an update on Twitter on September 26 about the situation saying the LEC opened an investigation last week and it is still ongoing.
“I saw several false rumors regarding G2 & Carlos and wanted to clarify: The LEC has not requested Carlos to resign from G2 nor divest his ownership. We opened an investigation last week per our LEC rules, which is still ongoing,” Schmidt said.
Riot Games has not issued a formal statement itself at the time of publishing.