Bloodx splits with sponsor after accusations of racist language

William Davis Published 07/07/2019

A racism scandal has hit the Fortnite esports scene

Competitive Fortnite player Erik “Bloodx” Guttormsen has left Eleven Gaming after he was accused of using racial slurs by Issa “Issa” Rahim of Ghost Gaming. Bloodx announced the news on Twitter.

“I am sorry to my fans, friends, family and Eleven Gaming for the events that have transpired over the last 3 days,” Bloodx said. “This is simply too much for anyone to take and because of the comments that were made against me, I have mutually decided to part ways with Eleven Gaming so this no longer negatively impacts anyone associated with me. They are my family and a team that believed in me from early on and for that I owe them a lot, they just do not deserve this negative attention.”

The allegations came during a lengthy discussion on Twitter over aim assist on controllers in Fortnite and how Issa might have abused this in his professional run. After criticizing Issa, the Ghost Gaming player responded by posting what appears to be a Discord message from Bloodx that contains the N-word.

The Norwegian was silent for days after but denied any wrongdoing in his first response to the allegations. When he announced his split from Eleven Gaming, he added that he is “in shock that someone would intentionally try to ruin [his] name and career from comments that are so far from values [he believes] in.” Eleven Gaming confirmed the news of the split on Twitter.

This is an ugly situation that involves one of Europe’s former standout players. Bloodx posted strong placements in the EU Summer Skirmish series and Dreamhack Summer 2018, taking second place in both. Though he was incredibly successful in 2018, he has fallen off in 2019. Bloodx failed to qualify for the Fortnite World Cup and a slice of its $30 million pool, making the loss of his sponsor an even more bitter pill to swallow.

Still, precedent has not been kind to esports professionals who use racial epithets, regardless of the title. League of Legends player Alfonso “Mithy” Aguirre Rodríguez received a ban for toxic behavior including the use of racial epithets in 2014, with many other players being punished in kind in the years since. More recently, TNC Predator Dota 2 player Carlo “Kuku” Palad was banned from two prominent tournaments including a major for use of a slur during a pub game.

Though Bloodx’s competitive career will continue on, he’s in a spot where he will basically need to start over from scratch.

Read Also

Fortnite

All Fortnite Gaming Collabs Still Coming to Chapter 7 Season 4 Zachary Roberts Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 is the gaming season. It is all about gaming, both in overt collaborations and subtle references. Already, Tetris, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man, and more have been featured in the early days of this season. We know for sure that more are on the way. For example, we've seen a trailer for Crash Bandicoot (outfit) and Spyro the Dragon (sidekick) coming soon. But leaks and ...

Fortnite

Opinion: It’s Getting Harder To Ignore Evidence That FNAF Is Coming to Fortnite Zachary Roberts Five Nights at Freddy's, or FNAF, has long been one of the most popular video games out there. Despite the original game's simplistic nature, it spawned sequels, incredible lore, and a film franchise. It has yet, however, to ascend into the rarefied air that is a Fortnite crossover. It has been leaked before. In fact, it was originally leaked in 2021, with subsequent rumors suggesting that it would finally arrive, ...

Fortnite

When does the current Fortnite season end? Zachary Roberts When does the current Fortnite season end? This is a question that’s always important to know the answer to. For one thing, many elements of the season, such as the items and characters, will go away at that time. That is also when players will no longer be able to earn battle pass rewards. The current Fortnite season, Chapter 7 Season 4, began on August 20. It’s expected to run ...

Fortnite

All Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 Codes and How To Use Them Zachary Roberts In a totally unprecedented move, Fortnite has added lobby hacks or cheat codes to the game for Chapter 7 Season 4. Never before has this been possible, but you can now input codes for different things. It is rather fitting for the season that's all about gaming, as cheat codes and hacks have been a part of this industry for decades. Here are all the codes as well as how ...

News

Has a Fortnite Collaboration Revealed the Kingdom Hearts 4 Release Date? Zachary Roberts There is currently very little information in the public domain about the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 4 from Square Enix. We know the game exists, and we know it's going to be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, even if there isn't even a release date yet. There's been no trailer yet, either, just a blink-and-you'll-miss-it teaser from a Nintendo Direct. But a Fortnite collaboration leak, of ...

Esports Betting

MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it Michael Hassall The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...

Fortnite

A Guide to All Fortnite Icon Series Skins So Far Zachary Roberts Are you wondering about all the Fortnite Icon Series skins in the game so far? There are plenty, and more are added all the time. These essentially represent real-life people. In some instances, they are also made-up characters that are portrayed by real people. The game is full of collaborations, and this series collabs with real things. For skins, that means people. For emotes, that means real songs or dances. ...