Evo founder MrWiz accused of sexual misconduct

Steven Rondina Published 02/07/2020

Joey “MrWiz” Cuellar is the latest esports and gaming personality to be accused of sexual misconduct. 

According to Twitter user PyronIkari, the Evolution Championship Series co-founder allegedly solicited children to undress for him in the 1990s. This comes following a week which saw numerous high-profile individuals in game development, esports, and streaming accused of sexual misconduct.

The individual details his own experiences with this in a 1997 incident.

PyronIkari states that he was part of a group of friends in the late 1990s that included Cuellar and other future figures of the fighting game scene. The group frequented a golf course-based arcade in California. He goes on to discuss how different members of the group would bribe younger players into dares like drinking several shots of maple syrup or shouting strange comments in exchange for snacks or tokens used for playing games.

PyronIkari claims that in 1997, he entered into a $20 bet with Cuellar over the size of his penis. As part of the bet, Cuellar would need to inspect it. PyronIkari was 14 years old at the time. He also reflected on how Cuellar regularly dared younger boys in the group to undress and jump in the water hazard.

Years later he discussed the bet with another member of the group, future Evo 2011 champion Jay “Viscant” Snyder. Viscant suggested he had unwittingly been tricked into performing a sexual act for Cuellar.

PyronIkari stated he is not traumatized by what happened, but noted that it did have an impact on him.

Evo founder involved in alleged sexual misconduct

The post mentions a number of veteran esports personalities, though it is unclear how privy to this other such individuals were. One that was named is James Chen, who denied any knowledge of the matter.

Shortly after the post, Evo announced that it has placed Cuellar on administrative leave pending a third-party investigation.

“We are aware of the accusations that have been made against Joey Cuellar. The behavior in these accusations runs directly counter to Evo’s mission of building a safe, welcoming environment for all of our players and attendees. We take this responsibility seriously,” Evo said in a statement.

Cuellar has not responded to the allegations as of this writing.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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