On Sunday, a brawl between two groups associated with a pair of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams broke out outside a party in Paris following the Electronic Sports World Cup. Now the alleged aggressor, Aude “sarah” Prigent, the coach of Team Imaginary, has admitted to being involved, but states she was provoked with homophobic abuse.
“I do not condone my behaviour and I strongly regret it,” Prigent wrote in a post published to Facebook. “But I find it unfortunate to have arrived there because of certain players in REASON.”
Reason Gaming players sent her images of rude hand gestures, Prigent said. And one, Sophia ‘Kim.’ Benfakir, allegedly added homophobic abuse to the messages. “They had been drinking and were waiting for one thing only – to fight” she explained.
A translation of one of the texts Prigent allegedly received reads: “Next time I see you I won’t even talk and I’ll jump straight to your face, hoping by the time I reach it you wont have eaten my pussy and boobs, you dirty lesbian.”
The recording of the argument, which Prigent published to YouTube is equally troubling. “I take your jaw and put it on the pavement,” Benfakir says at one point, a reference to the film American History X. “I show no mercy, we are terrorists so I fuck your race, shut the fuck up.”
For its part, Reason Gaming says its player was so angry by the time the phone call took place because she’d been the target of racist attacks. The team’s management showed the Daily Dot texts that contained the racial epithet “ni**er.”
In a statement to the Daily Dot, Prigent claims Benfakir came to her looking for a fight, despite the fact that she was with seven people who had nothing to do with the Counter-Strike scene. She also condemned Reason Gaming for publishing an image of her car’s license plate.
Prigent said she voluntarily went to the local police station to give her version of events.
Regardless of the outcome, the incident casts a significant cloud not only over competitive gaming but the event as a whole. ESWC have yet to announce what action, if any, they will take.
Photo via Reason Gaming
