Riot Games has banned two professional Valorant players, Don and Rizzora, from competing in their sanctioned events due to their criticism of a Twitter thread that compared teabagging in video games to real-world sexual assault. The players found the comparison outrageous and expressed their opinions on Twitter. Despite not targeting or harassing the original poster, they were banned, with Don receiving a three-month ban and Rizzora receiving a nine-month ban. Riot Games also doxed the players, revealing their full names, which has led to negative consequences for them in real life. The decision has been met with criticism, with many feeling that the players were unfairly targeted and that their freedom of speech was violated.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. A Twitter user made a thread comparing teabagging in video games to real-world sexual assault.
2. Two professional Valorant players, Don and Rizzora, made posts on Twitter criticizing the comparison.
3. Riot Games banned Don and Rizzora from their sanctioned events for their posts.
4. Don received a three-month ban and Rizzora received a nine-month ban.
5. The bans were for "targeted harassment and vulgar language" against the Twitter user who made the original thread.
6. Riot Games publicly released the full names of Don and Rizzora, which they did not want to be shared.
7. The release of their full names led to Don and Rizzora receiving messages from classmates who saw the headlines.
8. Don and Rizzora did not receive any warning from Riot Games before the ban was announced.
9. The ban was announced on the same day that Riot Games agreed to pay a $100 million settlement in a lawsuit related to workplace culture.
10. The Twitter user who made the original thread is a member of a professional Valorant team called Gallerance.
11. Don and Rizzora were critical of the comparison between teabagging and sexual assault, but did not harass or attack the Twitter user who made the thread.
12. The incident has sparked controversy and debate within the gaming community about the appropriateness of teabagging in video games and the actions of Riot Games.