Former pro Overwatch player xQc banned for 15 days over in-game toxicity

Felix “xQc” Lengyel has apologized following a 15-day ban for participating in toxic behavior while playing Overwatch.

Lengyel was streaming on Aug. 11 when he first learned about his suspended account. A message from customer support confirmed Lengyel’s suspension, noting he was reported by multiple players for using abusive language in-game. The moment Lengyel’s booted from the game is seen in the video below.

“It is never my intention to harass or use in-game chat in an abusive manner,” Lengyel tweeted. “Banter is fun and 100% of the time I type something to someone I know they are playing along and won’t be hurt. If I ever typed something and you we’re genuinely hurt, I am sorry. I will be better.”

Lengyel followed it up with another tweet about response he received to the situation.

“People tend to celebrate when others fail to reach their goals exclusively because they cannot achieve their own,” he said.

Lengyel has seemingly used a “smurf” account — an alternate account Lengyel has access to — since receiving his suspension, and has streamed on Twitch since then. Technically, this isn’t a ban evasion, as Blizzard allows people to have multiple accounts. Still, some people have called Lengyel out over his decision to continue streaming.

This isn’t Lengyel’s first apology for engaging in toxic behavior while playing Overwatch. Lengyel was fined $2,000 and suspended for four games by the Overwatch League in January for using a homphoboic slur to attack an opposing player when he was playing with the Dallas Fuel. A couple of months later, Lengyel found himself in trouble again for referring to Overwatch League casters as “cancer.”

It all came to a head in March when Lengyel “repeatedly used an emote in a racially disparaging manner on the league’s stream and on social media,” according to the Overwatch League. Lengyel pointed to Twitch culture — and Twitch chat culture — as a source of the issue.

“The fallout of it was preventable, dude,” Lengyel said while streaming. “I just simply wish that at some point, someone simply said, ‘Look dude ... I don’t know man, these [Trihard] emotes you always post in chat, it’s gotta stop man.’ Like I wish someone just said something, man. I was fucking born and raised by Twitch chat, dude.

“I’m literally a walking Twitch chat — and it’s fixable.”

Lengyel is slated to play on Team Canada in the Overwatch World Cup next month. Some Overwatch fans on Twitter have asked for Lengyel to be removed, while others have defended the streamer.

Polygon has reached out to Blizzard for comment.