Global Esports’ Southeast Asian imports, Gary “Blazek1ng” Dastin and Benedict “Benkai” Tan, find themselves at the center of a social media storm following the team’s recent performances at the beginning of VCT Pacific Stage 2.
Two days ago, GE squared off against the newly restructured Team Secret on the first day of Stage 2. Despite showing some resilience, the Indian squad couldn’t match the superior team play of the Adobo Gang, falling 2-0 in sets played on Sunset and Ascent.
Known as one of the struggling teams in the franchise league, GE’s defeat was clearly no surprise to regular VCT viewers. However, the ongoing losing streak since Stage 1 has tested the patience of their die-hard fans, who are eagerly awaiting positive results.
Looking at their comment section, it was clear that these series of losses provoked a wave of negative reactions from GE fans, predominantly from India. And that led Blazek1ng to respond sarcastically on social media. In a now-deleted tweet, the 28-year-old Indonesian player expressed his surprise at the behavior of some fans, which he found worse than those in his home country. He did not hold back in retaliating with nasty bite against his critics.
Benkai echoed this sentiment on his personal social media, posting a sarcastic thank you note for the fans’ ‘support,’ accompanied by a collage of screenshots featuring hateful comments from various accounts who mentioned him.
The players’ responses further inflamed the situation, with offended fans reacting strongly and replying with a mix of insulting and non-insulting jokes. Many have voiced their concerns and are now hoping that GE will terminate Blazek1ng and Benkai’s contracts after this competitive season.
However, Blazek1ng quickly issued an apology for his comments which were deemed offensive by fans in India. Benkai, on the other hand, remains silent and has not responded further on social media.
GE has three more weeks to secure their chance to reach the Stage 2 playoffs in South Korea. Their recent performance in the opening match signals that Benkai and crew need to devise new tactics to get the best out of their drafts.
