Carlos 'Ocelote' Rodriguez is now stepping down as the CEO of G2 Esports, he announced on his personal Twitter last night. After a week of controversy surrounding the founding member of the multi-million dollar organisation, something had to give.
This is not the first time Carlos has found himself in hot water, but this may be the most serious yet. Let's take a look at what happened behind the scenes.
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Why is Carlos Stepping Down from G2?
In a tweet last week, Carlos posted a video partying with Andrew Tate, an internet figure who has gone viral recently for his misogynistic behaviour and attitude towards women.
Having recently announced their all-female League of Legends team, this was particularly bad timing for Carlos. Twitter users were quick to point out the double standard of associating with a supporter of such questionable views towards the opposite sex.
Carlos however, doubled down, tweeting and reasserting his right to party with whomever he liked, as well as liking various tweets from fans defending him.
This went over even more poorly with many fans, and forced the organisation to release a statement distancing themselves from the actions of their CEO.
They also announced that Carlos would be taking 8 weeks of unpaid leave as CEO, as penance for his actions.
This turned out not to be the end however. After G2 were denied a spot in the Valorant Partnership with Riot, resulting in millions of lost revenue for the org, something had to change. So Carlos announced last night that he would be stepping down permanently as CEO.
What's Next for G2 Esports?
This statement from G2 is a powerful one, and much needed in the world of esports. In an industry that has been plagued by issues of misogyny for many years, Carlos being held accountable is a positive step.
While this decision was presumably an investor-led one, it will be interesting to see how G2 recovers as an organisation. Hopefully, a new CEO will be internally promoted, not outside sourced.
G2 has survived the leaving of important figures before. When Luca 'Perkz' Perkovic left the League of Legends team in 2020, the mantle was picked up by Caps and Jankos, who are now synonymous with the team.
As one of the most recognisable organisations in esports, no doubt they will bounce back in future.
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