If you have followed various high-profile gamers in various games, you would know that they fit in one of the two categories. They are either a pro-player or they are someone who has built an amazing community thanks to their charisma. However, once in a while, one of those players would be caught cheating and/or doing something illegal.
Pro Players
Let's start off with pro players as it is one of the most serious issues because of what they stand for. Pro Players represent a multitude of organisations such as the organisation they play for, companies they are sponsored by and the very game they play competitively. Just recently an Indian CS:GO player Nikhil "Forsaken" Kumawat was found cheating with an aimbot in a tournament final. The comments from those that spectated the games, fans and everyone else related had shown a very major distaste for the player. To give you an idea of how bad it looked, take a look at this tweet here;
If you were a fan of the caught player's team, it would be perhaps one of the most insulting things that could be done to the organisation and you as a fan. Organisations will obviously try to recover from a PR perspective. In this particular case, OpTic India had dismissed Kumawat from their roster and provided a statement on their stance on cheating in any regard.
Of course, Kumawat wasn't the only cheater in esports history, but each instance that happened on stage could mean another step back for the legitimacy of esports in general. Organisers for various games had already hired the necessary support staff such as referees and admins to ensure the integrity of the game remains solid.
On that note, it is important to separate the player from the team/organisation. Most if not all organisation will not be willing to risk their reputation for a bit of an extra chance to win in a tournament. If these incidents occur, it is highly recommended that you keep an eye on their social media and the organisers of the tournament for what they may decide to do in the situation.
Youtubers and Streamers
There are a lot of well-known players that aren't pro players in various games. Sometimes they are known for their humour, knowledge or other forms of entertainment. These charismatic traits have drawn fans and followers from young kids to adults who love to watch them play and even commentate on the games they play. They do represent the game and the brand they play as (most often themselves). Because of their style of entertainment, they may even be considered some form of pseudo-ambassadors for the games they play.
Recently, Gamers Classified had done a report on a Youtuber who had gathered over 1.7 million subscribers on his channel. This particular player played a well-known game, Fortnite and had been sued for cheating by Epic Games. While it isn't as serious as pro players, it still is a serious issue outlined by Epic Games as they filed that lawsuit.
A cheater in this regard puts a blatant disregard for the policies the developer/company had made and their fellow players. After all, many players would feel annoyed or angry at the fact that they lost, not because they were outplayed, but they were cheated off a chance of victory.
Have you ever experienced a time when a player you followed was caught cheating? Comment below on what you experienced then!
