by Earlier in the week, ex-Sentinels star Jay “Sinatraa” Won announced his return to Valorant after serving a six-month ban issued by the Valorant Competitive Operations Team.
However, esports journalist for DotEsports Liz Richardson has expressed her displeasure with how the esports community has accepted him with open arms despite the seriousness of the accusations leveled at him.
Via his official Twitter page, Sinatraa announced his readiness to return to competitive play after a one-year absence. He also revealed that he would be starting tryouts this week and would favor a return to the Sentinels.
“It’s been a year since I was forced to step back from competitive play. In that time, I have learned a lot about myself and grown as a person. I am now ready for a return to competitive play and will be starting tryouts this week,” he said.
It’s been a year since I was forced to step back from competitive play. In that time, I have learned a lot about myself and grown as a person. I am now ready for a return to competitive play and will be starting tryouts this week.
— Jay Won (@sinatraa) April 12, 2022
With the congratulatory messages and expectations of his return flooding the comment section, Liz sent out a thread via Twitter, condemning the way things have played out.
“I don’t want to hear a single word about ‘cancel culture’ in esports ever again after seeing the way most of the VALORANT community has welcomed S*natraa back with open arms. It’s disheartening. It’s infuriating. It’s disgusting.”
“You cannot possibly sit there confused about how widespread assault goes on at companies like ActiBlizz and esports orgs while thinking this is somehow a victory. Do you NOW see how powerful men “got away with it” for so long? Because it’s acceptable,” she continued.
I don't want to hear a single word about 'cancel culture' in esports ever again after seeing the way most of the VALORANT community has welcomed S*natraa back with open arms.
It's disheartening. It's infuriating. It's disgusting.
— Liz Richardson (@mizliz_) April 12, 2022
While serving the ban, Sinatraa has been streaming Valorant with friends on Twitch. At this point, it is unclear if any team has indicated an interest in the player, but seeing as he has tryouts scheduled, it is safe to say there are organizations looking to acquire his services.
Sinatraa’s ban, according to the Operations team, was for his failure to cooperate with the investigations. The Valorant player’s ex-girlfriend Cleo ‘cle0h’ Hernandez accused him of mental and sexual abuse, which led the Operations team to open an investigation on him.
However, they released a statement saying they had concerns with Sinatraa’s conduct during the investigation. It was also reported that the player made false statements and misrepresented certain facts.
The Sentinels suspended Sinatraa before the six-months ban took effect, costing him participation in several esports tournaments, including the 2021 Valorant Champions Tour. They were eliminated in Round 1 of the Stage 1 Challengers Lower Bracket by the Version1, who were huge favorites on several esports betting sites.
We are aware of the current situation regarding Jay “Sinatraa” Won and have launched an investigation internally. While the investigation is pending, he is suspended from the team.
We will provide a further update once the investigation has concluded.
— Sentinels (@Sentinels) March 10, 2021
Perhaps they could have had a better run in the tournament if the 22-year-old was available. However, the team and league did not think it right to have him continue competing given the circumstances.
Meanwhile, the Sentinels are yet to make any statement concerning the player since his announcement. Sinatraa made the switch to Valorant from Overwatch in 2020 but has been inactive since March 2021.
