TL;DR
- Fnatic terminated coach Veigar v2 immediately following revelations of inappropriate communications with minors
- The controversy exposed significant gaps in esports organization vetting processes and background checks
- Multiple community members came forward with additional allegations of toxic behavior patterns
- Veigar v2 acknowledged past misconduct but faced criticism for deflecting responsibility
- The incident highlights critical need for professional conduct standards in competitive gaming
Esports organization Fnatic faced a critical public relations challenge when evidence surfaced regarding their strategic League of Legends coach Marius “Veigar v2” Aunne’s inappropriate sexual remarks directed at a minor, compounded by additional toxic behavioral patterns.
While Veigar v2 maintained a reputation for disruptive in-game conduct and network manipulation tactics, the discovery of explicit communications with underage individuals represented an unacceptable threshold for the professional organization.
We have been made aware today of several extremely concerning messages sent by a contractor associated with our League of Legends team. These messages were sent in 2017 and 2018, prior to his association with Fnatic.
We have immediately severed all ties with this individual. pic.twitter.com/d2OCefRIms
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) April 30, 2020
The organization’s decisive action demonstrated zero tolerance for such conduct, though community members questioned the adequacy of pre-employment screening processes.
The esports community response revealed divided perspectives on accountability timelines, with minority voices advocating for forgiveness based on temporal distance from the offenses.
However, the predominant sentiment highlighted systemic concerns about vetting procedures within professional gaming organizations, particularly regarding positions involving public influence.
This incident underscores the growing need for comprehensive professional standards similar to those being developed for upcoming titles.
Documented History of Inappropriate Conduct
Investigations revealed that during 2018, Veigar v2 engaged in sexually explicit commentary targeting a seven-year-old girl. When previously removed social media posts resurfaced in public discussions, the child’s older sibling contributed additional evidence through preserved conversation screenshots.
The sibling further alleged his participation in specialized Discord communities focused on distributing inappropriate imagery of minors.
As public awareness expanded, additional community members disclosed personal experiences with harassment campaigns, competitive gameplay sabotage through network attacks, and toxic behavioral patterns during ranked matches.
When confronted about documented patterns of disruptive teammate interactions, Veigar v2 acknowledged during a live stream that such conduct represented established behavioral patterns rather than isolated incidents.
“His continued presence represents wasted potential and resources. Beyond competitive integrity concerns, he previously made pedophilic comments regarding my younger sister when she was approximately seven years old, supported by his network of enthusiastic followers,” the older sibling stated publicly.
Coach’s Attempted Rehabilitation Narrative
Following his public dismissal from Fnatic, Veigar v2 initiated damage control through social media channels addressing what he termed “allegations and circulating misinformation.”
About the recent accusations and rumors
Read: https://t.co/ahwTA6AZxC
— Veigarv2 (@Veigar_v2) April 30, 2020
Through an extended social media platform, he described his younger self as an adolescent entangled with “deeply problematic social circles” between 2017-2018. He expressed profound personal disgust regarding his historical statements and actions.
“By late 2018, I began maturing and recognizing the profoundly inappropriate nature of my past conduct and sought complete separation from that period of my life. I deliberately distanced myself from the individuals who facilitated these behaviors,” he explained to his audience.
He emphasized that since that transitional period, he has maintained communication standards completely distinct from the documented screenshots.
While acknowledging responsibility for documented toxic behavioral patterns, critics noted his tendency to attribute causation to external “influences” rather than accepting full personal accountability.
The former strategic coach specifically denied participation in the alleged Discord community or engagement with inappropriate imagery, characterizing these as unsubstantiated rumors.
“I never participated in distributing or accessing those unacceptable images, and these claims remain unfounded,” he stated, while offering apologies to both sisters. “I now reflect on these actions with profound embarrassment and cognitive dissonance.”
When supporters suggested the organization overreacted to historical conduct, Veigar v2 defended Fnatic’s decision-making process.
“I respect their organizational position and would implement similar measures in equivalent circumstances. These actions represent my previous identity, not my current character,” Veigar v2 responded.
Action Checklist
- Implement comprehensive background screening for all coaching staff and contractors
- Establish clear codes of conduct with zero-tolerance policies for inappropriate communications
- Develop crisis response protocols for organizational reputation management
- Create anonymous reporting systems for community misconduct allegations
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