London Spitfire release OWL pro after misconduct allegations weeks before season

The London Spitfire have dropped support player Owen ‘Prov1de’ Warner after investigating accusations of grooming made against the Overwatch League pro.

Spitfire said they found the player in violation of its code of conduct, and both parties agreed to part ways on April 9, 2022, just weeks ahead of OWL opening day on May 5.

“We were recently made aware of a code of conduct violation involving one of our contracted players, [Prov1de],” Spitfire said. “We have mutually parted ways with Prov1de, effective immediately, following the results of an internal investigation.”

The team will now look to fill his spot on the starting roster, but won’t have much time to practice with whomever they sign before the start of season 5.

OWL pro Prov1de grooming accusations

The move by the Spitfire happened days after Twitter user Emma ‘Emmaismental’ shared screenshots of Discord chat logs between the two.

Emma claimed to be 16 when Warner, who went by ‘Slur’ at the time, was 20. The nature of the messages sparked concerns of grooming in the following days and got the attention of the London Spitfire.

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After an internal review of the situation, the org quickly came to a decision pertaining to its latest signee.

https://twitter.com/Emmaismental/status/1512168828372983815

The team announced they would part with the support pro, marking the second time Warner has been dropped from an OWL team due to misconduct.

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In January 2020, Warner apologized after racial slurs he made in 2018 resurfaced, which led to his dismissal from the Los Angeles Valiant. He would then retire from OW. However, he returned later through the Challengers circuit in 2021.

The embattled pro will now sit out the OWL 2022 kickoff and the Spitfire will look to find a replacement ahead of the new season.