Chinese government reportedly calls for ban of two Dota2 players after racist remarks

Calum Patterson

Two Filipino Dota2 players, Carlo ‘Kuku’ Palad and Gabriel ‘Skemberlu’ Ong, are reportedly set to be banned from competing in the upcoming Chongqing Major in China, after making racist remarks about Chinese players.

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The two players were already punished by their respective organizations, with Kuku receiving the “maximum penalty” from TNC Predators, and Skem similarly received a fine from compLexity.

The organizations also released apologies, however, anger from Chinese fans grew, especially as TNC Predators’ statement was initially posted to a Weibo account with 2 followers, before being shared to Twitter a week later. This left a gap where fans thought TNC Predators had ignored the controversy.

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However, despite receiving sanctions from their organizations, it looks like the punishment for these two players is not done yet.

The next Dota2 Major is to be held in Chongqing, China, in January, and because Kuku and Skem’s comments were derogatory to Chinese people and has caused offence to fans in the region, it is reported that the municipal government has stepped in to call for the players to be banned.

Director of Team Secret, Matthew Bailey, claims that the organizations were also asked if they would remove the players from their rosters.

Dota caster and analyst Jack ‘KBBQ’ Chen states that StarLadder, the organizer’s of the Major, were approached by the Chinese municipal government of Chongqing, telling them ‘this event cannot have these two players.’

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Former compLexity pro player Jacky “EternalEnVy” Mao also clarified that it was not just a rumor, saying on Twitter that “It’s not a rumour. Skem and Kuku are most likely going to get banned.”

Skemberlu is currently not on an active roster, after being made inactive by compLexity as they “help him find a new home.”

Dota2 host and esports veteran Paul ‘Redeye’ Chaloner responded to the reports of municipal government involvement, calling it “utterly ridiculous”.

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Qualifying for the Chongqing Major begins on November 25, but missing out on the Major may not be the end of the worries for Skem and Kuku.

Shanghai has been confirmed as the host city of TI9, and there is a very real possibility that Chinese governmental intervention sees these players miss out of the biggest event of the Dota2 calendar as well.

There is added tension between Filipino and Chinese fans, given the current political relationship between the countries. The Philippines is still waiting on billions in investment that was promised by China, but is yet to materialize, after they switched allied allegiances to Beijing instead of Washington.

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About The Author

Calum is Dexerto's Managing Editor, based in Scotland. Joining Dexerto in 2017, Calum has years of experience covering esports, gaming and online entertainment, and now leads the team to deliver the best coverage in these areas. An expert on all things Twitch and gaming influencers, he's also an expert in popular shooters like Apex Legends, CS2 and Call of Duty. You can contact Calum at calum.patterson@dexerto.com.