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[2nd March Update] Evil Geniuses Reportedly Showed a ‘Repeated Lack of Care’ for Danny
A day after Evil Geniuses (EG) attack-damage carry (ADC) Kyle “Danny” Sakamaki said that Evil Geniuses was very supportive of him, Dexerto’s Richard Lewis shed light on what happened at EG, as per his sources, leading up to Danny’s retirement from pro play. The report noted that Evil Geniuses showed a “repeated lack of care” for Danny and that it contributed to his struggle with mental health issues.
According to Lewis’ sources, Evil Geniuses was aware of Danny’s medical condition that places him on the autistic spectrum and that the condition made handling stress more difficult for him. The organization reportedly pledged to offer assistance to the player when he was signed.
The article also reported that the player’s mental and physical health was left unattended for so long that “when he returned home, the family immediately sent the player to a doctor as he was suffering from malnutrition.”
According to sources quoted in Lewis’ report, Danny began feeling stressed from the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2022 and the EG performance team told members not to discuss the situation with him. The management reportedly instructed coaches and players to avoid pushing about Danny’s deteriorating mental health and to “leave it with them without any resolution forthcoming.” Following this, Danny decided to rather retire from pro play if he was not going to be given a break.
During the LCS 2022 Summer Playoffs, it is reported that Danny was quite vocal about not wanting to play professionally. Lewis quoted a source who said, “One member of the performance team said that this was just what having an autistic player was like and that the players would just have to bear it.”
While Evil Geniuses was initially ready to let the pro player take a break, the organization was reportedly worried about Danny jumping ship, given his market value. Lewis reported that Evil Geniuses has not yet responded to the accusations levied against it.
[28th February 2023] Update: Danny Makes His Statement on Twitter
Former League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) attack-damage carry (ADC) Kyle "Danny" Sakamaki broke his silence on his departure from Evil Geniuses (EG) and stated that the accusations of “mistreatment of staff and players” were not true. Danny said, “Hello all, ic [sic] there has been quite a lot of news out there and I want to tell you that it is completely on me & the accusations towards EG aren’t true. The truth is that the pressure of being an esports pro has overwhelmed me to my breaking point, and EG supported me all the way.”
Danny added that he will be a full-time content creator and streamer and revealed that he’s a part of the Evil Geniuses Creator Collective. He also thanked EG for giving him a platform and space to continue enjoying gaming and to his fans for being patient and supportive.
[The original article continues below]
Early on 2nd December, Evil Geniuses’ (EG) CEO Nicole LaPointe Jameson addressed some of the allegations that surfaced recently about the treatment of specific players on Evil Geniuses’ League of Legends roster. Nicole posted a video on her Twitter and talked about the way EG functioned after a screenshot alleging mistreatment of staff and players was circulated online. League of Legends European Championship (LEC) caster Marc Robert “Caedrel” Lamont read out messages allegedly sent by EG’s attack damage carry (ADC) Kyle "Danny" Sakamaki during his livestream. The screengrab that Caedrel read out had multiple messages that alleged the mistreatment of Danny by Evil Geniuses.
What happened on Caedrel’s stream?
Caedrel opened a screengrab of what looks like an Instagram chat box during his stream. The message read, “Yeah EG isn’t all ‘love and family’ as they make it seem. Our mom is actually talking to someone from the players association but I don’t think anything will happen since Danny doesn’t want to make a big deal about anything.”
The message also alleged that this was a big sign for Jeong "Impact" Eon-young to not re-sign with the organization since “things are just so bad there.”
Further, the messages claimed that Evil Geniuses fired a bottom lane coach because they reportedly stood up for Danny and went to the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) Players Association (LCSPA) to file a complaint on behalf of Danny. It also added that the damage has already been done by EG and that Danny will try streaming on Twitch to see if he would like to do that instead.
Caedrel then said, “Apparently it was Danny’s sister who wrote that.”
Evil Geniuses CEO addresses the situation
EG CEO Nicole LaPointe Jameson posted a video on Twitter and wrote, “An emotional morning at EG - a quick note on the LCS operational allegations.” She said it was shocking and disappointing to learn about the allegations about how Evil Geniuses treated its LCS players and staff and said it was a big blow to the organization.
“We care a lot at EG around taking care of our athletes. It’s a shi*** situation to be in because between HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] and legal employment constraints, I can’t say much. I can’t give the transparency and the factual statements that people are hoping for,” she stated.
Jameson continued, “What I can say pretty firmly is the allegations that are being made are untrue. It’s completely unfounded.” She added that it was a rough blow to her since she personally spent more time with the players and their families than she does with her own.
Following this, Jameson said it was a shock to get feedback in this medium and that Evil Geniuses hired based on its athletic needs for upcoming seasons and support. She made it clear that the organization loves to support and will continue to do so and invest in players.
The Evil Geniuses CEO noted that she brought in a third-party council in November to investigate the team’s LCS operation and to see if there were any issues that needed to be addressed formally and also help the team understand the best practices to follow.
These new allegations surfaced after Danny decided to step away from pro play to prioritize his mental health. Notably, these allegations also contradict the statement that Evil Geniuses posted when Danny stepped down.
