Cover-Credits:
- Valorant pro dapr has been receiving death threats for teabagging in a match against 100 Thieves.
- His teammates claim that some individuals have sent vile threats to not just him, but also his father.
- Dapr does not hold 100 Thieves or its fans accountable but wants the toxic individuals to stop.
Valorant’s First Strike event just ended but the controversies are just beginning. During the finals, Sentinels pro “dapr” was seen teabagging Joshua “steel” Nissan of 100 Thieves. While this is not such a rare occurrence in pro gameplay, some fans seem to be very upset with dapr’s actions to the point the Sentinels pro is receiving death threats from strangers. His teammate Shahzeeb "ShahZaM" Khan revealed that someone even posted vile comments about the death of his father.
Why Went Down Between “dapr” and “steel” at Valorant First Strike NA?
During the semifinals, 100 Thieves faced off against Sentinels in a best-of-three series. Sentinels took an early lead, and dapr decided to taunt the enemy team by teabagging steel. Teabagging is an action that is common in first-person shooters. Many news outlets report that it originated in Quake 2, and it has been part of gaming culture ever since. Players repeatedly crouch over dead players to simulate a sexual act. While some see this as entirely harmless, others consider it to be a bad practice in a professional setting.
Dapr’s actions ultimately did not affect the enemy team as 100 Thieves not only beat Sentinels, but they went on to become the First Strike NA champions. The Sentinels pro talked about how he was being harassed by 100 Thieves fans. Neither Sentinels nor 100 Thieves have commented on the incident. However, 100 Thieves’ Nicholas "nitr0" Cannella talked about how dapr teabagging led to a loss for Sentinels.
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Are Death Threats Common in Gaming Culture?
Image by Capcom
Dapr has clarified in a follow-up tweet that he does not want to hold 100 Thieves or its fans accountable. The people behind the threats are individuals who are motivated by personal reasons. Threats can originate due to various reasons. In a recent incident, three-time Destiny world’s first raider “Gladd” was threatened by fans only for voicing his opinion about the November raid race. CS:GO pro “leaf” was threatened by fans for cheating allegations. DOTA 2 players from Ninjas in Pyjamas received death threats for merely losing matches.
RELATED: Dota 2 Pro Receives "Borderline Death Threats"
Such behaviour is typical in not just esports but in sports as a whole and pop culture too. With internet anonymity being available to users, threatening individuals has become commonplace. It is unknown if Riot Games will step in to control such behaviour in Valorant and if the situation keeps getting worse, we may see an official statement from the company.
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