Unaware that the Overwatch League`s main camera was broadcasting him live to audiences watching around the world, London Spitfire player Joon-yeong `Profit` Park--one of the team`s big stars--looked straight into the camera and threw up the middle finger, with a cheeky smile to boot. He wasn´t flipping off viewers; he flipped the bird to his team watching from Blizzard Arena`s dugout area. Profit later said he made the gesture in response to jokes from players and coaches off-stage. He didn`t expect the gesture to be broadcast to the world, but it was. While many found it funny--even London Spitfire owner Jack Etienne joked about it--Profit was fined $1,000 and had to apologize for his actions.Profit`s on-camera slip-up is a microcosm of the issues esports players face in the spotlight. When Blizzard Entertainment announced the Overwatch League in 2016, it touted the clear-cut `path to pro,` which would allow any player with a high enough rank to get noticed by Overwatch League teams. Overwatch League`s path to pro would turn ladder warriors into global superstars, but the speed at which people were elevated from casual players to public figures created unique challenges. While newfound fame for esports players does have major upsides, some players have struggled with the challenges of being in a global competitive gaming league--namely a lack of anonymity, language barriers, and long training hours, all of which are difficult pressures to prepare for.Profit`s infraction was on the lower end of the seriousness scale, and yet it was still something that impacted him: `I will take the time to deeply reflect upon what I say and do to make sure that nothing like this takes place again,` he wrote in his apology. `I`m sorry [to] the fans that I have let down through my actions.`In November, 2018, Daniel `dafran` Francesca retired from the Overwatch League, before the 2019 season even began. That retirement didn`t stick and, days later, dafran tweeted that he would sti ...
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