Japanese Valorant player TenTen gets sacked after making racist comments on RRQ's fl1pzjder's stream

Japanese Tier 2 Valorant team Northeption released a statement declaring the termination of their player TenTen's contract as of July 5, 2023, on the grounds of inappropriate conduct. He had been caught making several racist comments directed towards Indian players during a game that was being streamed live by Rex Regum Qeon's (RRQ) in-game leader, Saibani "fl1pzjder" Rahmad.

Reports of this incident emerged on Twitter in the wee hours on July 5, 2023 (IST), and soon blew up, grabbing the attention of players from the subcontinent and beyond. This was not the first time that such racism was being directed towards Indian Valorant players, but coming from a professional player signed by a renowned Japanese organization shocked many.

What was even more shocking was that the comments were being directed towards fl1pzjder, who is of Indonesian ethnicity. This highlights the level of ignorance some members of the Valorant community are guilty of.

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Why did Northeption terminate Valorant player TenTen's contract?

During a ranked game with fl1pzjder, TenTen argued about the former's performance in that match. After a back and forth, the Japanese pro reacted by saying, "f****** India." RRQ's IGL immediately called him out on the comment being racist.

A screenshot of the game's chat also surfaced on Twitter later, which showed him making fun of fl1pzjder under the assumption that he was of Indian origin. These comments were not received well by the larger community of players from the region, whose sentiments were hurt due to the exchange.

Northeption, the organization to which TenTen was signed, responded promptly to the allegations. They quickly reviewed and released a statement stating TenTen's immediate termination from the Valorant roster, along with an apology on behalf of the company.

Along with this, Northeption also reiterated their stand on such behavior for the other players and staff of the organization. They also committed to raising awareness within the company and strengthening their internal control system.

In the aftermath of the event, TenTen also issued an apology via Twitter, taking accountability for his actions. He said (translated from Japanese), "I deeply regret that I made unforgivable remarks. I also take the punishment from the team very seriously. I'm so sorry."

TenTen, a Korean player, is a rising star in the Japanese Valorant esports scene. This incident is a notable moment in the scene that is seething with toxicity and will hopefully help combat similar behavior in the future.