Smooya to continue competing for FORZE at ESL Pro League Season 19 – player apologizes for situation with Monte

FORZE's stand-in Owen "smooya" Butterfield made an official statement clearing up rumors about his exclusion from the team. The Briton apologized to the community for the remark in support of Ukraine, which he shared via his social media accounts after losing to Monte at ESL Pro League Season 19.

Some individuals may have misinterpreted my playful response to a tweet by Monte as an aggressive gesture against FORZE. However that was not my intention. I am a dedicated standin of the team and I strike to contribute towards our success here in Malta. I have never tried to play poorly on purpose, and I have always done my best to win and will continue to do so in the future.

I acknowledge that my response was in poor taste. I am still learning the nuances and implications of certain expressions and I never intented to cause any conflict or offense.

I hold great respect for FORZE and their fans. I do not discriminate against people based on their nationality or skin color. If my recent posts have inadvertently offended anyone then I sincerely apologise.

In the following message, smooya thanked the fans for their understanding and added that he will tell about this situation in detail via stream upon returning home, while for now he will "focus on his showing at EPL". Note that on May 1 at 19:30 CET, FORZE will face FURIA in the middle bracket of Group C at ESL Pro League Season 19.

Origin: twitter.com