{"id":29206,"date":"2026-09-07T21:34:48","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T19:34:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/07\/esports-players-know-how-to-compete-but-esports-orgs-need-to-teach-them-how-to-behave\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T21:35:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T19:35:30","slug":"beyond-the-game-why-esports-orgs-must-teach-players-professionalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/07\/beyond-the-game-why-esports-orgs-must-teach-players-professionalism\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Game: Why Esports Orgs Must Teach Players Professionalism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>## FunPlus Phoenix Parts Ways with kovaQ Following Discriminatory Conduct<\/p>\n<p>In a decisive move to uphold professional standards, the VCT China powerhouse FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) officially severed ties with their In-Game Leader (IGL) and controller, Blendi \u201ckovaQ\u201d Kovaci, on August 28th. The organization confirmed the immediate termination of his contract, citing a breach of conduct regarding \u201cinappropriate remarks\u201d directed at teammates during a live match session. The official announcement can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/ValorantCompetitive\/comments\/1w0kg28\/fpx_terminates_contract_with_kovaq_over_racial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">via this statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>### Internal Review and Organizational Accountability<br \/>\nFollowing the discovery of the incident, FPX initiated a comprehensive internal inquiry, working in tandem with Riot Games to ensure a thorough review of the situation. This collaborative effort underscores the growing trend in esports where organizations are increasingly held accountable for the behavior of their representatives. <\/p>\n<p>Beyond the immediate dismissal, FPX has committed to a restructuring of its internal oversight protocols. The organization expressed deep remorse for the fallout caused by kovaQ\u2019s behavior, noting that they intend to implement mandatory sensitivity and professional conduct training for all roster members moving forward. This shift reflects a broader industry push toward fostering inclusive environments, a necessity as esports continues to professionalize and attract mainstream sponsorship.<\/p>\n<p>### Navigating Future Competition<br \/>\nWith the roster now down a key player, FPX is currently recalibrating its strategy for upcoming tournaments. The organization emphasized that all adjustments to their lineup will strictly adhere to league regulations and any final mandates issued by Riot Games. <\/p>\n<p>The incident serves as a stark reminder of the high stakes involved in professional gaming, where a single lapse in judgment can lead to the immediate dissolution of a career. As the VCT ecosystem matures, the tolerance for toxic behavior continues to shrink, placing the onus on organizations to act swiftly when their values are compromised.<\/p>\n<p>Keep Reading<\/p>\n<ul class=\"d-flex flex-column\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2026\/08\/women-counter-strike-2-scene-struggling\">\u201cIt\u2019s on life support\u201d: Women\u2019s Counter-Strike 2 scene is struggling to stay afloat, and there is little hope left if things don\u2019t change<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2026\/07\/valorant-viewership-esports-world-cup-raises-concern\">VALORANT\u2019s viewership at Esports World Cup has fans worried that the game is \u201cdying\u201d once and for all<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a class=\"echo_read_more\" href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2026\/09\/esports-orgs-press-training-kovaq\" target=\"_blank\"> \u00bb More Info >>><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On August 28th, FunPlus Phoenix sent shockwaves through the VCT China scene by abruptly cutting ties with their IGL and controller, Blendi \u201ckovaQ\u201d Kovaci. The organization cited \u201cinappropriate remarks\u201d made by the player toward his teammates during a match as the catalyst for the split. FPX has since launched a formal internal investigation into the incident, working in close coordination with Riot Games to address the fallout<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":29207,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpai_generated_summary":"","wpai_meta_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[98],"tags":[1210,4823,128,36,122,107,2167],"class_list":["post-29206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-esports","tag-features","tag-funplus-phoenix","tag-latest-news","tag-mixtv","tag-opinion","tag-top-stories","tag-valorant"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29206"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29220,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29206\/revisions\/29220"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}