In the match between EVOS Esports and Team Flash that recently took place, the White Tigers faced their fourth consecutive defeat in the VCS Summer 2020. What’s noteworthy is that this loss occurred in the most bitter way possible, as they lost the Baron in the third game – the decisive match – throwing away all the advantages they had gained earlier to their opponents.
As a habit, whenever the team loses a Baron, the jungler is always assumed to bear the responsibility (unless he has already been eliminated prior), and Sorn – the jungler for EVOS Esports – is the one who faced the most criticism.
What’s more alarming is that after that Baron loss, Sorn had to endure thousands of hateful comments and harsh criticisms laden with offensive language from a segment of the audience. Some toxic individuals even went to this player’s personal Facebook page to insult him directly.
Upset by the situation where his teammate became a target of online bullying, EVOS AD Carry Divkid spoke out fiercely, explaining the reason behind the aforementioned Baron loss while also condemning the unacceptable toxic behavior exhibited by a significant portion of netizens.
According to Divkid, it was a situation where Sorn called for no Smite, implying he didn’t want to go for Baron, yet the entire team still decided to attempt it, which is a mistake of the whole EVOS team, not just Sorn.
Additionally, he used very strong language to counter the unpleasant comments from toxic viewers.
Divkid’s post received a lot of support and agreement from well-known figures in the Vietnamese League of Legends community, as well as a large number of viewers. However, Sorn still had to lock his personal Facebook account due to pressure from the “hooligans” on social media.
From a professional standpoint, it is indeed true that the poor performance streak of EVOS is partly due to the form of this jungler. This is not the first time he, or rather EVOS as a whole, has lost in such a scenario: losing Baron and losing the game.
However, regardless of the reasons, the act of belittling and insulting players with hostile and offensive language is unacceptable and reflects the reality that a segment of the esports audience is still unaware of what is called “sportsmanship.”
Most esports players are still very young, and not everyone can develop a strong enough mindset to “ignore and live on.” Many keyboard heroes remain indifferent and think that hurling a few insults won’t hurt anyone, unaware that personal attacks can sometimes inflict more damage than a punch and pose a significant risk of leaving deep psychological scars on those who endure it.
If you are an aware and cultured audience member, please stop any toxic behavior, insults, and belittling directed at individual players! What they need to receive to improve themselves are constructive feedback on their performance, not a platform for viewers to vent their frustrations for amusement.