Former BIG Clan AWPer, Owen “Smooya” Butterfield, has been temporarily banned from the FACEIT Pro League. His ban from the FPL stems from his toxic behavior in-game, but the player says he will be taking a week to relax.
BREAKING NEWS: PLAYER BANNED FROM FPL
I’ve been suspended for the foreseeable future for my comments towards @refrezhCS. I don’t agree with what I said nor do I think it’s right in anyway. I will take the week to relax! This isn’t any way reflective on @BIGCLANgg, it’s on me.
— Owen Butterfield (@smooyacs) February 6, 2019
This news stems from a video that has now gone viral. In the video, Smooya is heard talking to another player speaking about Ismail “refrezh” Ali. According to Smooya, Refrezh was throwing their FPL game and not trying. As a result, Smooya would insult Refrezh in order “for him to start trying, and then it went to overtime and he just stopped trying”. He would then insult the Danish player more, with each insult surpassing the last. Unfortunately, it seems like these words have landed him in hot water.
Who is in the wrong?
Of course, Smooya should not have said many of the things he said in the video. In fact, Smooya has had multiple problems with toxicity over his career. However, this does not mean that Refrezh is not liable to criticism too. For example, a VOD from Nikola “Lobanjica” Mijomanovic would show him bunny hopping to his death, ultimately costing his team the round. Smooya would also post a video of Refrezh, with the caption, “At least he tried? Zero comms during this by the way, this demo is comical”. In the demo, it would show Refrezh jumping into a Molotov while spraying around a corner, leading to his demise.
Refrezh would tweet an apology on the same day the video would spread, saying:
My behaviour in that single FPL game wasn’t acceptable, but it was just a result of me getting irritated too much to not giving a damn if I was taking too many risks. Sorry for the people on my team receiving a loss when I didn’t play my best. FPL isn’t everything, but it is the best place to play high level of CS PUGs. Take an example of my wrong doing kids, and don’t play like an idiot like I did just because someone tilts you. Be a better person than I was”.
Even though he knows his actions were wrong, that does not change the fact that Smooya has been banned. However, many people believe that Refrezh should be given a temporary ban as well for his actions.
FACEIT Management Reaction
FACEIT would also make a statement on the Smooya situation, saying:
After recent events and many clips that resurfaced, we decided to bench smooya in FPL to give him some time to clear his thoughts and adjust his behavior, which recently was out of control in the FPL. He will reflect on everything and calm down without potentially saying any career-ruining words in FPL, so we are giving him some time off to clear his head. Just wanted you guys to know why you won’t see him around.
A break should do well for Smooya, who has recently moved on from his position with BIG Clan. He should use some of this time to consider his next career moves. Recently, Smooya was playing for Denial Esports as a stand-in. However, he has yet to find a permanent home for the future. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.
What are your thoughts on Smooya’s ban from the FPL? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more CSGO coverage, check us out here!
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