The host and commentator speaks out after months of silence — but not an apology was heard.
Disgraced former Counter-Strike host and commentator Mathieu "Maniac" Quiquerez is under fire again following an video posted to his X/Twitter account yesterday.
The almost eight minute video features the commentator giving an update on his life following accusations of sexual assault in early September. In a response to these original accusations, Maniac mentioned he would issue a video following that would see him "take accountability for my mistakes, attempt to apologize properly and show who I am unfiltered."
That video arrived this past weekend — but the community appears no closer to forgiving the former host.
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In the video, Maniac claims he was "overwhelmed" and incapable of handling or dealing with the accusations at the time, hence the "rushed" state of his original statement. "I went through some very violent emotions that I didn't have under control. I genuinely started wondering 'Am I a monster? Is this who I am?'," he said.
He went on attempting to explain the reasoning for his actions and how he was processing the following months internally, especially after his removal from a live ESL CS2 broadcast as the accusations were made public. "I absolutely do not believe I am at any sort of finish line, it's an everyday journey and one I strongly intend to keep on now that I've taken this different turn," he said.
He concluded by saying he was unsure about his future in the Counter-Strike scene but that he still "loves the game profoundly" and that he can't imagine his life without it. "Whatever form this is going to take in the future, that is yet unknown to me, but what is clear is I love the game and I'm not ready to let go of it."
The wider community, however, weren't convinced. "How the hell can he put out an eight minute update video and not even once actually apologize to the victims, or, if he doesn't consider them true, then to at least address and refute them," one person said on Reddit. Maniac did specify he would include an extended apology in this video, but an apology is not mentioned in the eight minute spiel.
Others believed the video was entirely self-serving. "Not a single apology, only about himself, [and] ending it with him loving the game and hoping to return and the community to accept him back with puppy eyes," former CS2 coach Jan "Swani" Müller said. "Zero reflection, full narcissism. Please stay away, thanks."
Maniac himself said he had no plans for participating in CS2 events anytime soon, but, given the reaction to today's video plus organizer efforts to distance themselves from the Swiss commentator, it's clear Maniac will remain on the CS2 talent blacklist for some time yet.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more CS2 news and coverage.
