Quinn’s comments during a ranked game of Dota 2 have drawn the ire of the community, and Gaimin Gladiators have been forced to act.
Gaimin Gladiators has issued a statement condemning the actions of Dota 2 mid-laner Quinn "Quinn" Callahan after a clip revealed he had made a xenophobic comment during a pub game yesterday.
Quinn commented at the end of an Oct. 15 Dota 2 match, during which a back-and-forth between him and a teammate escalated after the star mid-laner assumed the other was from Russia and that he was "born in a trash country."
"I guess you're just Russian. It's not your fault you're born in a trash country," Quinn said. The clip of the match, which was posted on Reddit, continued with the targeted player saying he wasn't from Russia and was actually from Kazakhstan — the same country as one of Quinn's Gaimin teammates Alimzhan "watson" Islambekov.
The two continued to bicker as the game ended, and while there didn't seem to be much in it, the Dota 2 community erupted. Less than a day later, the organization stepped in.
Gaimin issues statement addressing Quinn's pub Dota 2 antics
The organization addressed Quinn's comments on Oct. 16, stating it maintained a "zero-tolerance policy towards any form of discrimination" and that the mid-laner had been "formally" reprimanded for the comment.
"While we recognize that emotions can run high during competitive play, we believe Quinn's statement was not directed at the Russian people as a whole and was taken out of context. Nevertheless, Gaimin Gladiators believe there is no place for derogatory statements in esports to be directed at any specific people," the organization stated.
It was added that "appropriate measures" were being taken to ensure Quinn would not make such a comment again. These measures were not shared, and it's not known just how Quinn has been punished.
Many were confused as to why Gaimin had reprimanded Quinn for such an offhanded comment. It is important to know the organization Quinn represents is sponsored by Winline, a Russian-based betting company. The bookmaker was founded in 2009 and linked up with Gaimin in 2023.
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Dota 2 community reacts to Quinn's toxic behavior: "So absurdly tame"
Of those who disliked his comments, many were frustrated that Gaimin's zero-tolerance policy supposedly came with just a slap on the wrist for the mid-laner. "If this was really 'zero-tolerance' he would be out of the team as he just promoted discrimination of Russians in a public match," one wrote.
Others were surprised a statement was needed at all. "The stuff he said was so absurdly tame compared to the other s**t other pros have said about Russia," one fan said. "I'm surprised it was even worth a statement, just typical Dota crap."
It's not the first time Quinn has been embroiled in drama due to toxic behavior. After griefing in a pub match in 2023, he apologized for his behavior and promised to improve going forward — especially given his status as a top-tier Dota 2 professional.
Quinn and Gaimin Gladiators return to the Dota 2 server this week for BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024. Funnily enough, they'll take on the Russian-owned L1GA Team in the opening round-robin match.
Quinn issues public apology
On Oct. 17 at 3:32 a.m. PT, Quinn issued a public apology for his actions on X, stating, "I'm very much a work in progress continuing to try to lessen the crap I say in pubs and this was a very bad moment. Sorry again."
"I made a generalization off of a bad pub game in the heat of the moment and I apologize for that and regret that," he added.
That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more news and updates.
