CLG criticised by LoL community for publishing video of players being benched following LCS defeat: ‘Not sure who took a bigger L, England at the Euros, or CLG’s social media team’
Dom Sacco, Senior Editor
Last Updated: 12/07/2021
North American esports organisation CLG have been utterly annihilated by the League of Legends (LoL) esports community for publishing a behind-the-scenes video on social media.
The video – now removed by the org but reposted below – shows general manager Daniel ‘Tafo’ Lee telling the team’s LoL players that it ‘might be the last time we have this roster of five playing’ following a defeat in the LCS.
CLG won one game and lost two last weekend, prompting org management to make roster changes. But it was the manner in which the video was shown, the fact it had been sponsored by Bud Light and the way it humiliated the players (including Pobelter, pictured left, and Broxah, right) that people took issue with. Many believed the conversation should have stayed private.
Cloud9 streamer IWillDominate – who recently guest cast some Chinese LPL matches – led a wave of criticism towards CLG over the video:
Many in the UK League community blasted CLG’s decision to publish the video.
Here’s a selection of views from various Brits or people in UK esports:
Not sure who took a bigger L , England at the Euros, or CLG's social media team.
— Medic (@MedicCasts) July 12, 2021
Son I'm sorry to say but you're adopted. Please don't cry. Here, enjoy the refreshing taste of a Bud Light™️
— Foxdrop (@Foxdroplol) July 12, 2021
That is a big yikes from me…
— Troubleinc. (@g_troubleinc) July 12, 2021
You can't expose your players' saddest moments like these and then be like 'oopsie' *delete*
Who does CLG think they are belittling their employees on camera for clicks?
— Thorin (@Thorin) July 12, 2021
TSM?!?
Transparency is great but like everything there are limits. CLG fucked up on this occasion but hopefully they learn from it, offer a sincere apology to their talent, and let's hope it does not scare other orgs away from approaching with honesty (just don't be stupid).
— Nathan Edmonds (@NathanEdmonds) July 12, 2021
What I find most interesting about the CLG situation is that the team is full of talent and experience and most of these players would probably be a good player on other teams
— Jarge (@Jarge__) July 12, 2021
Why aren't they looking at the staff? It's their job to pool this experience & create a winning system
G2 coach GrabbZ was also critical of the video:
Petition to absolve the CLG roster from this years performance.
— Fabian 'GrabbZ' Lohmann (@GrabbZ_) July 12, 2021
If this is a decision that actually made it to the public I don't even want to know how this org operates day to day.
It being sponsor content + the hashtag makes it even worse.
After removing the video, CLG also published this apology on Twitter.
They said their goal was to share an authentic moment and be transparent, but that they “recognised the negative light it brought” to their players and decided to take the video down:
Streisand effect incoming https://t.co/z6AJEqxd9R
— James ‘Stress’ O’Leary (@joleary) July 12, 2021
There are many more comments flying around on social media and Reddit (here and here) deploying CLG’s actions.
Being benched is of course difficult for the players, as the team dynamic shifts and player morale may drop.
Speaking of benching, Team Liquid’s Welsh LCS pro Alphari was benched in early June ‘for performance and attitude reasons and private reasons’, but Alphari returned to Liquid’s starting roster with a win last weekend, though he was switched out for Jenkins again in one game.
Dom Sacco, Senior Editor
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He has almost two decades of experience in journalism, and left Esports News UK in June 2025. As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late '80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He also previously worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation.
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