It’s probably not the best idea to start shouting racial abuse in the middle of a live stream if you’re public figure with a pro gaming career.
That’s the lesson to learn from Toronto Esports player Matt “Dellor” Vaughn, who apparently started shrieking the N-word repeatedly (“for 26 uninterrupted seconds while his teammates sat in stunned silence,” PVP Live writes) over voice chat during an Overwatch stream, which one of his viewers then uploaded to YouTube for posterity.
The diatribe caused Toronto Esports to end Vaughn’s contract:
“Toronto Esports is an organization built on inclusivity, and we have always had a zero- tolerance policy for any forms of discrimination. Immediately upon learning of the incident, the player was interviewed, admitted to the offence, and was notified that his contract with the organization was being terminated.”
And then Twitch nuked his channel for violations of the terms of service.
Vaughn posted an apology to his team, admitting that he “fucked up” and “deserve[d] to be dropped” from Toronto Esports. While he says he won’t make excuses, he then lists what he believes motivated his rant (lag, enemies cheating, Twitch issues, and lack of sleep). “The only thing I can say is that despite me using that word, I am not a racist. I was extremely upset, and I was trying to make the person I was angry with upset as well, and so I said the most offensive thing that came to mind,” he writes. He’s said he’s “done with esports.”
