- A Korean professional gamer in Dallas said he and his teammates encounter racism every day.
- Lee Eui-Seok, who plays under the name ‘Fearless’, spoke on Twitch about his time in Dallas.
- “Asians here are scary,” Lee said. “People are still trying to pick fights with us.”
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
A Korean professional gamer in Dallas, Texas, said he and his teammates experience “unspeakable” racism every day.
Lee Eui-Seok, who plays in the Overwatch League for the Dallas Fuel under the name “Fearless”, spoke about his experience on a
Twitch
stream Sunday.
“Asians here are terrifying,” he said, increasing a sentiment well-known in the Asian-American community as hate crimes in the United States.
—Swingchip (@ swingchip930) 6 April 2021
The Dallas Fuel is reconstructing its roster after three consecutive losing seasons. All eight members of the current team are Korean, as well as three of the team’s coaches.
Lee talked about some of the challenges he and his teammates face: ‘People are still trying to pick fights with us … There are even people who cough at us … They will talk us out of it while they laugh. ‘
Lee was traded from the Shanghai Dragons to the Dallas Fuel in November and was named a ‘Role Star’ in 2020 for his skills as a ‘tank’ in the video game.
Mike Rufail, chief executive officer and founder of Dallas Fuel, confirmed in a video posted on Twitter that several members of the team received racist remarks and were threatened in Dallas.
—Mike Rufail (@ hastr0) 6 April 2021
“We do everything we can to make our players feel comfortable,” Rufail said, “they are part of our family.”
Rufail also said the organization is working closely with the team to increase security.
Lee said the racism he was facing was a new phenomenon
Lee told his viewers in his Twitch stream that he never experienced any racism when he lived in Los Angeles in 2018
“It was peaceful then,” Lee said, followed by a long pause before comparing it to his experience in Dallas. “This is my first time I’ve ever experienced racism … It’s pretty bad.”
He said he sometimes wears his team jersey in the city in an effort to avoid harassment and racism. He noticed that he gets a lot more hate when he just wears street clothes.
Activision Blizzard, the head of the Overwatch League and the creator of the video game itself, said in a statement to Polygon that he supports his Asian employees and the community.
“At Activision Blizzard, we strongly condemn racism,” the company said. “We stand with the Asian community, our employees and our players and work across our organization, including esports, to do our part to combat hatred and ignorance.”
Representatives from Blizzard and the Overwatch League did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Lee has issued a warning to other Koreans who may be considering moving to the US.
“I think Koreans living abroad need to be careful,” Lee said.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in late March that the Department of Justice would review its handling of anti-Asian hate crimes within 30 days.