Female Tekken pro quits after harassment and death threats

Female Tekken player Kim “Xiaoyu” Xiao has revealed that she is not competing this year due to ongoing harassment.

Xiaoyu has become a pretty prominent Tekken player in the Philippines, where she has been chasing a professional Tekken career. But her competitive climb has allegedly come to an end with Xiaoyu calling it quits on October 18, 2022.

The seemingly abrupt decision to quit playing Tekken shocked her followers. She had just been flying out to various tournaments and announcing future tournament plans on Twitter. So what happened?

These two Australian Tekken players are so kind to me and we used to talk a lot in Rev Major. I can't wait to see you again in the next Rev Major. @Subject000016 @BobbyBadinga pic.twitter.com/zyUHPvr0zi

— Kim_Xiao (@_kim_xiao) September 19, 2022

Tekken pro Xiaoyu reveals sexist harassment

Xiaoyu tweeted on October 18 that she was no longer playing Tekken, adding that nobody should ask her why. This left many players confused about her decision. Some told her not to give up on the game while others felt she was being melodramatic.

I will quit playing Tekken this year. Please do not ask me anything. Bye.

— Kim_Xiao (@_kim_xiao) October 18, 2022

Following the cryptic tweet, Xiaoyu decided to share the reason behind her decision. She explained that she can handle hate comments but that the ongoing harassment and threats were too much for her.

In the screenshots, the man can be seen telling her she is not a good Tekken player, telling her she will never have a career in the game. They added that no female players will become pro at Tekken. A bit later, he said threatened to kill her.

“I sincerely apologize to disappoint all of you. I am scared of what might happen in the future. I do not know what is the intention of this person,” she tweeted.

The reason why I will not play Tekken this year is because of this. I can handle hate comments, but this is just way too much. I sincerely apologize to disappoint all of you. I am scared of what might happen in the future. I do not know what is the intention of this person. https://t.co/x5E8F9s7NU pic.twitter.com/J4C6xQpXjy

— Kim_Xiao (@_kim_xiao) October 20, 2022

While some told her not to let a random toxic man impact her career, others understood that it’s more than just a few DMs that caused her to quit. Female players in the esports scene are often harassed consistently and treated negatively during tournaments. And female streamers that have received threats have also had stalkers find them at events and even their homes.