The Overwatch League hasn’t been easy on the Dallas Fuel.
Newly-signed Dallas tank player Son “OGE” Min-seok has been suspended for four games in the Overwatch League for participating in “account boosting” last summer. The suspension begins today, according to the Overwatch League, but OGE wasn’t scheduled to start until stage three.
OGE will be eligible to play for Dallas in Overwatch League stage three on April 11, a Dallas Fuel representative told Dot Esports. “OGE’s suspension by the Overwatch League is effective immediately, including tonight’s match,” the spokesperson added. “OGE did arrive in Los Angeles this week and has begun practicing with the team.”
Related: Dallas Fuel releases xQc from Overwatch League team
Timo “Taimou” Kettunen and former Dallas tank player Félix “xQc” Lengyel were both punished by the Overwatch League for various infractions of the rules. Taimou was fined for offensive remarks, while xQc was fined and suspended. XQc was suspended in January for four matches, too. He has since been released from the Overwatch League team.
This isn’t the Overwatch League’s first boosting suspension. In November, the Overwatch League suspended Philadelphia Fusion tank player Kim “Sado” Su-min for 30 matches. Sado will likely resume play in May.
The large variation in punishment brings up questions regarding the Overwatch League’s rules. Blizzard didn’t expand on OGE’s minor punishment compared to Sado’s—though OGE’s boosting was allegedly less involved than Sado’s. “The severity of a given infraction determines the length of the suspension,” an OWL spokesperson told Dot Esports.
Earlier this month, Overwatch League commissioner Nate Nanzer told Dot Esports that Sado received the largest punishment doled out thus far. Nanzer alluded to other boosters in the Overwatch League with lesser punishments, noting that the amount of boosting is taken into consideration when handing out penalties.
Related: OWL commissioner Nate Nanzer: “Of course we’d be supportive of a players’ union”
“Was it like, I played on a friend’s account?” Nanzer asked. “Or was it that I took money from hundreds of people to boost? Those are two very different infractions so they’ll get different levels of punishment.”
He continued: “Boosting is one of those things where you are directly influencing in a negative way the experience of thousands of other Overwatch players.” That’s why it garners such a harsh punishment from the Overwatch League.
Dallas will play New York Excelsior at 9pm ET tonight. The roster currently sits at the bottom of the Overwatch League rankings, one spot above the winless Shanghai Dragons.
