An Overwatch Contenders team has just recruited a new head coach MaybePlay, who rebranded his online persona from Cyphate after he bragged that he preyed on a sixteen-year-old teenager when he was twenty-nine.
The Contenders Team Odyssey announced that they had hired MaybePlay as the official head coach, to more than a bit of surprise from the community; Odyssey has multiple members on the roster that are also underaged, sparking some concerns about their safety during their time on the team.
Cyphate himself admitted to the acts, which he reconciled by donating $200 to a charity he disclosed as ‘IWF’; we are presuming that he means the Internet Watch Foundation, an organization that watches for the exploitation of minors online. It’s also possible that Cyphate means the Independent Women’s Forum; there was little clarification.
https://twitter.com/cyphate/status/1288220521176403968
The rebranding appears to many to be an attempt to leave the controversial acts behind while still remaining in the scene; it appears to have worked for the moment.
You can read the context offered by Smug to see the extent of the relationship, and further evidence that the relationship occurred.
All of this once again points towards the Overwatch having a bizarre history with sex scandals, and nothing has yet been forthcoming from Blizzard in the past 24 hours regarding a Contenders team with children on it being led by a confirmed child predator.
The following players are confirmed to be under eighteen:
RhynO (tank) is 14 years of age.
LukeminoO (support) is 17.
Rakattack (support) is 17.
https://twitter.com/RedMarci_/status/1298466991976611842
The issues with this announcement are, hopefully, self-evident not only to Odyssey’s staff but also to the admins of Overwatch Contenders and Blizzard themselves. Considering the relatively quick response to the racist team in T3 that was formed to simply throw racial epithets, some are concerned that there hasn’t been a rapid response to what could very well be a grooming relationship.
The community on both Twitter and Reddit have been quick to point out that MaybePlay is a confirmed child predator, and that Odyssey has a fourteen-year-old tank, to which Odyssey has not replied to as of yet.
It seems like an open and shut case, which makes the current lapse of statement coming forth from anyone involved in this a bit more concerning.
If it comes to light that RhynO is currently being groomed and admins have failed to act on knowledge, thus putting one of their players at risk, it would be a disastrous blow for the otherwise hopeful and upcoming Overwatch Contenders that have managed to put forth a bit of grassroots talent, if not currently at the level that everyone had hoped for. We will update once an official statement has been put out from any of the parties involved.
