Steven R. March 12, 2019
Fortnite pro Tinny is at the center of an ugly controversy.
The British player has been officially released by esports organization FlyQuest following allegations of physical and mental abuse by an ex-girlfriend. The team announced the news in a statement on Twitter.
“We want to follow up in regards to the situation arising yesterday involving one of our Fortnite players,” said FlyQuest. “After investigating and discussing with the player in question, we both decided it was in our best interests to part ways. We thank Tinny for his time at FlyQuest.”
On March 9, a woman claiming to be Tinny’s ex-girlfriend and using the handle "Killua" on Twitter posted a lengthy statement detailing an abusive relationship between herself and an unnamed player from FlyQuest.
Afterward, she posted a series of video and audio clips that include a man and woman shouting at one another, with the woman referring to the man as “Tinny.” The man can be heard telling the woman that no one loves her and encourages her to kill herself in one clip. In another he admits to being abusive and calling her “a cancer” that “brings out the worst” in him. She also posted screenshots of an argument between herself and Tinny on Discord.
FlyQuest was tagged in the chain of tweets and quickly acknowledged that it was aware of the accusations. It announced Tinny’s release the next day. Killua discussed FlyQuest’s release of Tinny on Twitter, and thanked those who have helped her.
In recent days, Tinny’s Twitter account has been set to private. He made a post on Instagram discussing his release from the organization.
“In light of the current situation, I tendered my resignation from FlyQuest,” said Tinny. “I do not wish for any backlash from my personal life to harm the organization, nor can I keep up with the requirements of my contract as I pursue legal action.”
Tinny has been a regular competitor in European seasonal skirmish events. His most successful event during that time was week four of the Fall Skirmish series, where he placed sixth. He was the first member of FlyQuest’s Fortnite division.
With the release of Tinny, FlyQuest’s Fortnite roster now consists only of Adam "Crunch" Escobedo and Hansol Kim.