A transphobic outburst from Apex Legends pro player Jaeden “Caprah” Valle on Nov. 20 was clipped and published on X (formerly Twitter). Avexys and Detox were due to play with him in ALGS year four, but are looking for a new teammate following his actions.
During a scrim session, Caprah, in a moment of apparent frustration, verbalized transphobic slurs directed towards BR Kittenz IGL Becca. Avexys and Detox have been praised by the community following their quick decision to part ways with Caprah following the incident. The now-duo advertised that they were looking for a new player a mere 48 minutes after the issue was publicized.
Caprah is infamous for repeatedly coming under fire for inappropriate comments within the Apex Legends scene, with his transphobic comments being far from his first offense.
The mechanically talented player lost the opportunity to play in most of Year Three’s ALGS Pro League following a series of verbally abusive messages he sent in a Discord channel directed toward XSET Sikezz. These were published online by Sikezz, and the messages included both homophobic and ableist statements. Esports Arena dropped him from their roster following the incident, despite him qualifying to compete with them at last season’s Split One Playoffs in London.
Many expected the player to be removed from the competitive scene entirely, with a large number of professionals publicly denouncing such statements. However, some prominent community members, most notably TSM’s coach, Raven, defended Caprah due to his young age. Raven responded to Sikezz on Jan. 5 making the argument that as a player with little life experience, he should be given the opportunity to learn from his mistakes rather than having them broadcast across social media. After Caprah’s latest comments, those who originally advocated for his second chance have fallen silent, with figures like Raven showing support for posts condemning his actions instead.
The Apex professional community gave Caprah a second chance to learn from his mistakes. Evidently, they are not ready to give him a third. Response to his actions has been decisive. Individuals have admitted on X that “Good faith has been entirely wasted on this guy” and his behavior has resulted in a “waste of talent.”
Additionally, since his actions became public, another alleged incident of homophobia has been raised on X. Part time content creator and streamer Samborghiniii claimed that he was once banned in Caprah’s streaming chat following a loss, with the only justification given being the word “gay.”
Following the community backlash, Caprah deleted his social media accounts, leaving his future in Apex Legends in limbo. Expectations from the community are clearly that he should not be allowed to return, and he certainly does not have a place on his previous team. While perhaps an argument existed before to give him a chance at redemption, he has continued to spread toxicity and hate within the community.
ALGS fans have responded by voicing overwhelming support for the transgender community, and members of the women’s competitive scene have since announced a new charity tournament raising money for The Trevor Project.
The message is clear: Hate has no place in competitive Apex.
Published: Nov 21, 2023 02:07 pm