ESPORTS can be a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
In the VALORANT Champions Tour 2022: PH Stage 2 Qualifiers, Bren Esports went head-to-head with Alpha Esports Pro, in which the latter secured a crucial 2-1 series win.
But in between their battle, Bren’s Zachary “BraiNfreeZe” Bajarias was overwhelmed with the intensity of the match. After suffering a 13-9 Game 1 loss in Icebox, Bren stormed back in Game 2 with a dominant 13-2 score in Ascent.
Immediately after, Bajarias gestured with his middle finger as Bren celebrated their victory.
In retaliation, AEP didn’t hold back. After a grueling Game 3 win with a 13-11 scoreline in Haven, they taunted BraiNfreeZe.
During the post-match celebration, Enrico “Ching” Perez made a crying pose and afterwards he Tweeted: “2-1 VERSUS TRASH TEAM”
This forced Bren VALORANT manager, Ishan Adolfo, to respond.
The heat between the two teams led to a toxic battle within the community. Seeing the consequences of their actions, Ching decided to apologize for the incident.
“I apologize to Bren Esports VALORANT team for expressing my emotions without thinking. The unprofessional act of a certain player got through me and my instincts was to retaliate. Thank you have a good night!” he said.
In response, Bren acknowledged his faults and they replied: “We’re only human, but we learn from mistakes. Let’s spread positive vibes moving forward. GGWP to you and the rest of AEP!”
Why did BraiNfreeZe make an inappropriate gesture in VCT?
Two minutes after Ching expressed his apologies, Bajarias decided to return the favor. On his Twitter account, he acknowledged his mistake and explained his side of the story.
“I apologize to everyone that may have been affected by my actions, it was a heat of the moment kind of thing, nothing personal. I take full responsibility for my actions,” he reflected.
Bren VALORANT team manager Ishan Adolfo tried to make light about the incident to Spin.ph, calling back to the usual stigma that Sunday is often esports drama day.
“It’s a Sunday! You know how esports is on Sunday!” she said.
In the end, both parties declared a ceasefire from the toxicity and Oasis Gaming’s co-founder, Rak, encouraged the community to remain civil now that the issue has been resolved.
“With all that, people should stop being toxic to the other team TBH. They already issued their apologies, even from the player himself. Give it a break guys.”
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