While we know of them as Team Liquid, technically the organisation’s full name is Team Liquid Honda, as the Japanese car maker has been the title sponsor for the team for years. However, that is no longer the case. The pair have split up, all following one of Team Liquid’s players posting an insensitive social media post that seems to have been used as the spark to give Honda a reason to exit its commitment to the organisation.
For those unaware, recently Rainbow Six player Lucas “DiasLucasBr” Dias published a social media post directed at Japanese team CAG Osaka where he mentioned that the team “blew up” in a tournament and accompanied the statement with a bomb explosion gif. Needless to say, this hasn’t sat well with the Japanese community who found the post as insensitive, even if Team Liquid notes that “there was no malicious intent, only a very serious lapse in judgement and awareness.”
This whole situation has seen Team Liquid publishing a full statement where it explains: “We hold ourselves and our players to a high professional standard and Lucas’s tweet fell short of that standard. This does not reflect who we are as people and as an organization, and it should not define Lucas as an individual in the public perception. We believe that individuals who show a willingness to learn from their mistakes deserve the opportunity to improve themselves, and we are committed to providing Lucas with the training necessary to grow as a person. An honest mistake should not be the end of someone’s career.
“To the players of CAG Osaka, we want to offer our sincerest apologies for any offence you may have felt. We thank you for the cordial dialogue, your understanding and graceful handling of the situation.”
While Team Liquid does intend to conduct mandatory education and discipline training for its players, enact disciplinary actions against Dias, and even see the entire Rainbow Six team committing their winnings to charity, the damage has been done as Honda has used this as motivation to exit its commitment to Team Liquid. The organisation explains:
“Due to the controversy generated by this incident, our automotive partner Honda Motors has made the decision not to renew our partnership. Although we regret this outcome, we understand and respect the decision, and extend our thanks to Honda Motors for having been good partners for 6 years.”