Houston Outlaws release Assistant Coach as OpTic Gaming shakeup continues
L: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment, R: Dallas FuelHouston Outlaws assistant coach Kyle ‘KyKy’ Souder has parted ways with the team.
The move ends a rather brief spell with the team for KyKy, who joined the Outlaws towards the end of Season One, having spent the first three stages as head coach of a struggling Dallas Fuel.
So far, the Outlaws have made fairly minimal changes to their team for Season Two. The three players that left the roster were those that saw minimal play-time in Season One, though two remain with the organization in different capacities.
Only one player has been added to the Outlaws roster so far, with Dante ‘Danteh’ Cruz joining from San Francisco Shock. The team has two spots remaining to fill if it chooses to, with the free agent signing window having opened to all teams on October 8.
KyKy’s departure is the latest in a series of changes across the Infinite Esports & Entertainment group, which includes OpTic Gaming and Houston Outlaws. KyKy himself alluded to his departure being connected to more widespread change at the organization.
Just informed that I am also one of the many people being let go from Infinite/Optic/Outlaws. I've turned down opportunities to remain loyal to one organization but am now a free agent looking for a fresh start. Open to all staff positions, DM anytime.
— Kyle Souder (@KyKy) October 8, 2018
Other recent changes include the departure of League of Legends General Manager Romain Bigeard, and Infinite’s Director of International Development Ali ‘Alicus’ Saba. OpTic Gaming also parted ways with their DotA 2 team in the wake of a top-8 finish at The International 2018.
In Overwatch, the organization also recently suffered a setback after their academy team, GGEA, was removed from Contenders NA for missing the roster deadline.
Many have speculated that the turmoil within Infinite Esports & Entertainment began when they cut ties with one of their investors, Steven Hays, following his arrest over an alleged attack on his wife, potentially resulting in some financial troubles for the organization.
More recently, OpTic content creator Hitch suggested that owner and CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez could return to a more active role in the organization, following a slightly more hands-off period in the wake of OpTic’s acquisition.
Full disclosure: OpTic CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd