Overwatch League allows MVP skin refunds, sinatraa speaks out

Olivia Richman Published 11/03/2021

The Overwatch League is one of the latest entities to speak out after former OWL MVP Jay “sinatraa” Won was accused of sexually and mentally abusing his former girlfriend.

On Twitter, the Overwatch League stated that it would provide refunds for sinatraa’s MVP skin, “Alien,” if players requested them. Overwatch players would get back 200 League Tokens, an in-game skin currency, and have the MVP skin removed from their collection. The Overwatch League will release more information on how to get a refund in the near future.

The OWL also stated that they will be altering the Zarya skin. The OWL trophy and sinatraa’s MVP trophy badges will be removed from the right sleeve of the skin. It’s not yet clear when these skin updates will take place. Blizzard stated that it will happen in a “future patch.”

pic.twitter.com/AhWuJvHFAu
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) March 11, 2021

sinatraa accused of mental and sexual abuse by ex-girlfriend

sinatraa’s former girlfriend Cleo shared a TwitLonger last night that outlined her alleged experiences while dating the Valorant player. This included being claims of being forced to have sex even while in pain, sinatraa ignoring her when she said “no,” and constant accusations of cheating. Cleo also shared screenshots of sinatraa writing abusive texts to her after she had complimented the Houston Outlaws, a team that opposed sinatraa’s San Francisco Shock.

tw for sexual abuse // my last relationship https://t.co/V4PUMZeNrW
— cleooo ???????? (@cIe0h) March 10, 2021

Cleo’s troubling accusations were met with support from the esports community. The Washington Justice said it “admired her” for speaking out. Former Los Angeles Valiant player Caleb “McGravy” McGarvey said she had his “absolute support.” After standing up for Cleo, McGravy started receiving death threats, forcing him to turn off his DMs on Twitter.

sinatraa is currently one of the most popular Valorant players in North America. After dominating with San Francisco Shock in the Overwatch League, sinatraa has also proved himself talented in Valorant while playing for Sentinels. Many of his fans have shown their unwavering support despite these latest accusations, with some people going as far as to say Cleo is lying for clout, money, and attention.

Still, Sentinels and Riot Games have both suspended sinatraa, meaning he won’t be competing in upcoming Champions Tour events while he is under investigation for abuse.

sinatraa responds to accusations of mental and sexual abuse

After Cleo discussed her traumatic experience with sinatraa, the superstar player decided to respond with a TwitLonger on his own. His was just a short paragraph, however.

“It is clear from Cleo’s recent post that she recalls our relationship differently than I do. What we do agree on is that it was unhealthy for the both of us. I apologize to Cleo and regret how things ended, but I never assaulted her in any way,” sinatraa stated.

Update

Read: https://t.co/Es7fm5mbqP
— Jay Won (@sinatraa) March 11, 2021

For some fans this was enough. Many responded to his tweet with support, accusing Cleo of “nullifying all his accomplishments.”

Cleo decided to respond to sinatraa’s update herself.

“Of course we ‘recall the relationship differently.’ One of us was incredibly cruel and one of us was scared. This does lead to different experiences in a relationship, shockingly,” Cleo tweeted.

She added that sinatraa had never apologized to her for his behavior. Cleo said he should have apologized directly to her instead of making a TwitLonger.

Of course we “recall the relationship differently”. One of us was incredibly cruel and one of us was scared. This does lead to different experiences in a relationship, shockingly.
— cleooo ???????? (@cIe0h) March 11, 2021

Some in the community called out sinatraa for continuing to “gaslight” Cleo and his own followers. Cleo herself said it was a very common gaslighting phrase to say that someone “remembers something differently.” This coincides with her original TwitLonger in which Cleo discussed the gaslighting he’d allegedly done throughout their relationship.

Even though the majority of the community has rallied in support of Cleo, with multiple major entities suspending him, the Sentinels’ “internal investigation” is still underway. It’s unclear what will come of the organization’s findings and what its next step will be in regards to sinatraa’s position on the team.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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