American esports organisation FlyQuest have issued a lengthy apology after their Marvel Rivals player ‘coopertastic’ was caught making sexist and transphobic remarks in-game and on social media.
News of the 17-year-old pro’s comments first came to light when Marvel Rivals streamer ‘AshlynnFPS’ posted a video of herself getting into an argument over voice chat in a Marvel Rivals game.
Around the one-minute mark, FlyQuest’s coopertastic tells her “everyone hates you in this game” and then after another player calls AslynnFPS a “dumb b***h,” coopertastic jumps in and says “not even a real one by the way.”
This then prompted Sentinels player Chassidy ‘aramori’ Kaye to come forward and post about her personal experiences with the FlyQuest pro.
She claims that after another player posted a tier list of Marvel Rivals pro players coopertastic responded, in a now deleted tweet, asking why he had been placed below aramori.
aramori then shared screenshots where she jokingly replied, asking why he singled her out before coopertastic responded by saying “ily (I love you)” and used the hashtag #MeToo.
The Me Too movement encouraged women to come forward and speak out about their experiences with sexual assault and sexual harassment. aramori claims coopertastic was making light of this and would spam the hashtag in chat whenever Sentinels and FlyQuest scrimmed against each other, which would suggest that FlyQuest were aware of this behaviour.
FlyQuest and coopertastic apologise for hateful remarks
On the About Us page on FlyQuest’s website, it mentions inclusivity as one of their core values.
On that same page, FlyQuest also claim they are: “committed to making the gaming landscape better than we found it. This means fostering a more inclusive, sustainable, and engaging ecosystem for players, fans, and communities alike.
“Whether it’s promoting sustainability, supporting local communities, or championing diversity in gaming, we are dedicated to leaving a lasting impact.”
Following the public allegations, FlyQuest released a lengthy statement saying: “Firstly, we want to apologise to Ashlynn, Aramori and everyone who has been hurt by these comments. At FlyQuest, we want to be an organisation that always works to lift up others.”
The organisation then mentions coopertastic’s young age and say he has commited to training: “This player has made mistakes, and though his age and recent exposure to the scene may be a factor at play, they are also not an excuse for words and actions that hurt others, especially within the communities that are frequently targeted and harassed within our industry.
“This player has committed to training and educating themselves with support from FlyQuest to not only do better, but also give them this opportunity to grow.
We also make it clear that FLY players have very limited chances to show their character before they are no longer a part of our program.”
Coopertastic also posted an apology of his own a few days prior, stating:
“I understand that I made a terrible mistake that is inexcusable. Throughout life it is extremely important to treat everyone with respect and kindness no matter their sex, sexual orientation, or background in every aspect in life, and I firmly believe that it is essential to hold that true.”
He also claimed he would be taking a break from social media and playing ranked to reflect on his actions. However, some claim to have spotted him playing again just a few hours after making the apology.
Community backlash following FlyQuest’s statement
Some members of the community were also left dissatisfied by FlyQuest’s apology. British Marvel Rivals pro Ghasklin recently left FlyQuest and expressed his anger at the fact his former org labelled hate speech as a “mistake” and claims things “ended sourly” when he departed.
There was also an angry response from aramori’s Sentinels teammate, Anthony ‘SuperGomez’ Gomez, who questioned the integrity of coopertastic’s apology and blasted FlyQuest’s lack of action:
We have seen in recent weeks the importance of esports pros acting professionally on social media as Team Liquid lost a lucrative long-term partnership with Honda after their Rainbow Six Siege pro posted a GIF of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima following the team’s loss to a Japanese team.
It’s also a critical time for Marvel Rivals esports as the schedule for the game’s new $3m (£2.24m) Ignite tournament has been released, with qualifiers starting soon.
In my seven years of esports writing, I’ve introuduced esports coverage to newspapers, interviewed some of the biggest names in the industry, and driven viewers mad with the puns in my YouTube scripts. I’m most proud of the latter.
