THE WHOLE Kelra fiasco — which exploded last night and led to a Thai pro player momentarily stepping away from esports and Kelra himself serving a suspension in the league — reminds us of the misogyny and sexism that is still rampant in the world of gaming and esports.
The three set of clips that have surfaced so far has shown us a lot more needs to be done to make esports safer to all.
The three clips show:
Omega Esports player Duane “Kelra” Pillas saying “OmyV33nus Wise bl****b” in an in-game stream, followed by laughter from his team within the game. He proceeded to repeatedly shout an Indonesian slur.
In another clip, the teen uttered what can only be described as sexually harassing words towards Thai pro Chareeny “Ramellabah” Ramella.
Her org, IDONOTSLEEP (IDNS), has already released a statement of condemnation. Ramella herself said that the incident convinced her that she would be stepping back from pro play until she’s sure there’s a safe environment for her.
A third clip, meanwhile, showed Kelra seemingly asking his friend how to translate the word vagina to English just so he could boast to his Indonesian teammates.
On Monday night, the MPL-PH finally released a statement and issued a sanction to the 16-year old: a two-week ban when the league finally starts its season.
All three clips are vulgar, and a stark reminder that it’s time to take a close look at what's going on in our ranks.
It’s disheartening and disappointing to see how a star in the making can willfully say those things. But it’s scarier how others are downplaying it as a joke and a ploy to weaken the MSC champs. It goes to show how misogyny, homophobia, and toxicity are still rife in esports.
How we can do better in esports
I won’t be a hypocrite here. I am equally guilty of toxic behavior, from mind-numbing trash talk, to shouting and threats, even the usual cursing match on all chat. I cannot justify that what I did was right, nor say it was part of the experience, because that's not how it should be in the first place!
Esports needs to be a safe and open environment for everyone.
It’s not just Mobile Legends. Almost all esports titles are breeding grounds for a toxic environment. Many pros have been either suspended or banned in League of Legends for toxic behavior. Even TI winner Sebastien “Ceb” Debs was placed on the hot seat last year for his toxic attitude in pubs.
And those were just pros who got caught. What more for players who do this for fun?
Worse, some continue to downplay gaming toxicity as a rite of passage. But this only a road to a darker path.
I remember playing with a couple of my female friends when they were sexually harassed in the middle of the game. Worse still, it wasn’t a one-off scenario. The players we played with dismissed the act as normal, which pissed the hell out of me. Unfortunately, the only option was the report button and hoped that the developers were keeping a watchful eye.
I can see why Kelra was nonchalant, or excited, even, when he shouted those words. Hurtful words like those were considered normal — and to some degree, even tolerated by the community. It’s the same reason why his teammates egged him on, and even helped translate to English words that shouldn’t have been thought or said in the first place.
A lot of people think it’s normal and funny.
It’s right to hold Kelra accountable. He is a prodigy that many look up to. But a 14-day suspension feels like a slap on the wrist.
I do hope Moonton will look further into the matter, not just with Kelra, but with the other pros who downplayed the severity of the act.
This isn’t going to be a witch hunt, nor a case of social media cancel culture. This is a reminder for fans that we still have a long way to go, and we need to start now. As Ramellabah and IDNS said, sexual harassment is not a joke, nor it will ever be.
Kelra was not the first, nor will he be the last... unless the whole professional esports scene (and not just Mobile Legends) takes action and do better.
The MPL-PH is on the road to cement esports’ place in the country’s history. They could break boundaries with the upcoming franchise model. This was the perfect time to show the naysayers that esports is here to stay and that esports is a welcoming community.
They can still do that. The gender sensitivity seminar required now for all players is a good start. But I hope they can do more in the future.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
