M80 CEO snaps at The Guard following VCL defeat: ‘At least we don’t fire our entire company’

The CEO of North American esports organization M80 clapped back at The Guard following his team’s defeat in VALORANT Challengers last night. 

The beef between two of the best teams in Challengers couldn’t stay on the server. The Guard fired the first shots when the VALORANT roster took down M80 2-0 in their last match of Group B. The Guard jokingly mocked M80 for paying for a blue checkmark, which can be bought via a Twitter Blue subscription. 

M80’s CEO Marco Marco Mereu snapped back at The Guard’s post to remind the company that the management fired almost all employees and scaled back the organization to a skeleton crew to keep The Guard operational. 

“At least we don’t fire our entire company and walk them out. Say less,” Mereu said. 

The Guard responded with a screenshot of a blue checkmark paid for by Mereu via Twitter Blue. 

The Guard retained its VALORANT roster following drastic layoffs at the company. The Guard management laid off its social, content, talent, and creative teams in late February. A skeleton crew of workers remains at the company, including a social media manager. 

The Guard’s VALORANT team will remain operational for now. The Esports Advocate reported that The Guard’s Overwatch League and Call of Duty teams—the Los Angeles Gladiators and Los Angeles Guerillas—are set to remain under The Guard until a buyer is found.