- CEO Rodriguez’s scandal has consequences for G2’s roster
- The deal to sign XSET’s players has fallen through
- “Andrew Tate cost me a job”, XSET’s Zekken said
A string of recent controversies might have gotten in the way of G2 Esports signing a new VALORANT roster.
Rodriguez’s Actions Cost G2
G2 has been on the front pages of many esports journals over the past few days, but not because the organization won a big tournament. Instead, G2 Esports has been involved in several scandals, with the first one being that of CEO Carlos Rodriguez’s temporary suspension. He was forced to take an eight-week unpaid leave due to him posting a video of himself partying with controversial internet celebrity Andrew Tate. This unleashed a torrent of scandals that eventually cost XSET’s rising star Zachary “zekken” Patrone a job.
Zekken went on to Twitter to explain that with the recent string of scandals surrounding G2, he won’t be able to join the organization’s VALORANT roster. According to a report by the Washington Post, G2 had been looking at signing the XSET roster.
G2’s CEO Rodriguez posting himself partying with a very controversial figure such as Tate, who has been accused of many acts of misogynistic behavior. This sparked a ton of backlash from G2’s community, as it was seen as a bad thing for Rodriguez to be affiliating with such a controversial figure. Although Rodriguez eventually publicly apologized, the damage was already done, quite possibly being the main factor why G2 lost its partnership with Riot for 2023.
The damage extended to any potential contracts G2 may have signed, including that of zekken. G2 was looking toward not only zekken but also his teammates. XSET announced that all the players will be moved to free agency, with zekken, BcJ, and Cryo being registered as free agents, while Dephh and AYRIN are unrestricted.
Zekken and his colleagues expressed their wish to stay together if possible, but wherever they go now, it’s highly unlikely it will be G2 Esports.
