NRG skuba racism controversy, explained

The VCT off-season is all about drama, whether it’s unexpected roster moves or personal gossip that can make or break a VALORANT player’s career. NRG’s sentinel main, Logan “skuba” Jenkins, has now found himself at the center of one such controversy, with many fans claiming he has been acting in a racist manner. 

However, what actually happened is far more than what those posts on X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and VLR.gg suggest—and it may leave you wondering whether the internet has once again blown a situation out of proportion. Here’s everything you need to know about the Skuba racism controversy in VALORANT.

What really happened with VALORANT player Skuba

On Nov. 12, a leaked Discord clip of a woman named Sioung (@siollix on X) surfaced online, showing her repeatedly using the n-word (including the hard “r” variant) in a casual, derogatory manner while talking to friends during a casual VALORANT match. The clip didn’t just go viral—it also dragged Skuba’s alleged romantic involvement with Sioung into the spotlight, and not in a good way.

Apparently, the pro had publicly interacted with Sioung on social media multiple times before this, including flirty exchanges like matching profile pictures on X and quirky banter. This led many fans to assume she was his girlfriend and, worse, that he willingly associated with someone accused of racist behavior. To make matters worse, Sioung’s vague apology posts only fueled the backlash. Her account on X is currently deactivated. 

Shortly after the controversy began, Skuba released a statement that neutralized much of the speculation surrounding him. For starters, he dismissed all claims that Sioung was his girlfriend and emphasized that her racist comments do not reflect his own values in any way. “I don’t deal with racism and I was genuinely unaware of the clip/whole situation. She is not my girlfriend and her words do not represent me,” he wrote on X. “It’s such a weird situation because I was just as surprised as you all were. Hope you all can understand and sorry.” NRG has yet to comment on the situation, though.

Some fans refuse to believe Skuba was never romantically involved with Sioung; plenty of social media evidence suggests they were at least close. However, it’s also possible that Skuba is no longer associated with her—or that their relationship was never serious to begin with. Many are also skeptical of his claim that he was unaware of Sioung’s views, which isn’t an entirely unreasonable reaction given the situation.

Adding to the confusion, Sioung reportedly lied to several people about her age, which caused further concern about Skuba unknowingly interacting with someone underage.

At the end of the day, accusing Skuba of being a racist based solely on his alleged association with Sioung might be a drastic leap without evidence. It’s crucial to distinguish verified facts from online speculation, especially when a well-regarded player’s reputation is at stake.