UPDATE: I got in touch with Claire Fisher, Team YP’s main eSports coordinator, and she filled me in on how the whole issue came about.
ESL had initially reached out to us some time ago, and wanted to sell our Jersey in their store. We were extremely happy, and things were on their way. But I think the person we spoke to (nicest person on the planet, seriously) then had higher ups veto the decision, and it could no longer happen. That was fine, we understood, it made sense, and no fuss was made of it. About 3-4 weeks ago, some of our teams started messaging me because ESL admins were refusing they use our tag or logo, which was odd, because we had never encountered problems with ESL before. So I reached out to them personally and the discussion, sadly, was very closed, there was very little room for negotiations, and the response was simply that as long as my funding came from YouPorn, that none of my teams would be allowed to compete using our name.
Claire wanted to make one thing clear.
As long as the fans, the players, the community want us here, we will continue being here. Much like we are nothing without our players, we are nothing without the community. We want to continue supporting our teams, we want our players to have equal opportunities to achieve greatness, attend tournaments, get noticed, and climb the ladder.
Original story follows.
It was first reported by Venture Beat that the Electronic Sports League (ESL) cut ties with Team YP because YouPorn is the primary sponsor of the Pro Gaming Group. This decision came after a new rule went into effect stating prohibition of sponsors “widely known for pornographic … or other adult/mature themes and products,” according to the email that the ESL sent to Team YP.
https://twitter.com/TeamYPOfficial/status/723935513497985025
https://twitter.com/TeamYPOfficial/status/723936299665727488
Team YP is involved in Mortal Kombat X, Ultra Street Fighter IV, Evolve, CS:GO, and Starcraft II.
If you were to look at Team YP’s website, you wouldn’t find any pornographic content or adult nudity. It would be safe to visit this website at work or in a public place.
In early December 2015, there was additional measures taken by Team UP in reaction to censorship by Capcom Cup organizers.
Team YP is positioned as a safe for work brand, avoiding any mentions of parent company YouPorn on the team’s website, social media accounts and jersey. However, even with these measures, it was not enough to satisfy every single person on the planet. “We’ve had success with Team YP and have already gone to great lengths to try and make sure that our team name does not offend a single gamer or Street Fighter tournament organizer,” said Burns. “I believe that this self-censorship of the Team YP logo, will help us take that next step and make sure that absolutely no one knows who is sponsoring our eSports players.”
I was fortunate enough to interview a player from Team YP. Falkunn is a passionate upstart from England, specializing in Mortal Kombat X for the group.
This recent decision by the ESL hinders any chances that Falkunn had participating in the Mortal Kombat X ESL Pro League.
@ShakkLoL Aye. ESL Pro League for MKX I cannot compete in any more
— Falk (@Falkunn) April 23, 2016
He recalled the feeling he had from when he first got on the team. “That was amazing, it was a really good feeling,” Falkunn said. “To be a part of something really big, something really interesting. Something to a degree quite controversial, but I found that quite funny. And I liked it.”
Falkunn became the only Mortal Kombat X player for the group, and he made it clear that it felt like people were tuning in. “I’m the only guy who is playing this specific game for a team that nearly everyone involved in eSports knows about.” he explained. “Who wouldn’t know of the infamous Team YP sponsored by YouPorn?”
Falkunn reassured me that he was in good hands. “Team YP themselves have been amazing, they continue to be amazing,” he stated. “I’m a player who suffers mental illness to a degree, I have anxiety and depression that can be very hindering towards my tournament play. But, they’ve been very supportive of that. They’ve made me feel very welcome. Very belonged… to a part of a family.”
It became clear to me that the players on Team YP are just as dedicated as gamers as the rest of the ESL is. “When Season 3 was announced I was really excited.” Falkunn said. “Maybe I could get to Season 3 finals if I try hard enough. I’m just going to keep going for it. And nothing stopped me from that. I even sold my Xbox One to get a PS4 just to enter the ESL Pro League.”
Real talk, it's a shame that ESL banned TeamYP from all events, but I'll continue to wear my TeamYP colours and rep the brand with pride
— Falk (@Falkunn) April 23, 2016
I’ll ask the question that’s on the edge of people’s minds. What’s considered “safe” or “unsafe”? Foxtrot eSports is sponsored by Fadecase, who make collector and replica knives. Under the rule of sponsors being “widely known for pornographic … or other adult/mature themes and products,” will they have to cut and run as well?
