Major eSports organization Electronic Sports League is severing ties with adult website YouPorn’s professional gaming team, Team YP. This is being done in the wake of a new rule that blocks sponsors who are “widely known for pornographic … or other adult/mature themes and products.”
That’s according to an email that ESL management sent to Team YP, according to a report today from GamesBeat.
According to GamesBeat, Team YP tried on numerous occasions to alter its branding and messaging to appease ESL, including changing its logo and name to say YP instead of YouPorn. Additionally, the organization adjusted its SEO so that when people searched for Team YP on Google, they wound up at a safe-for-work Team YP site and not the XXX site.
“I am disappointed that Team YP’s growth is being stunted by this decision, not to mention the effect that this will have on our roster of players,” Team YP manager Claire Fisher told GamesBeat. “While for some, our participation in eSports has been controversial, stopping our players from competing because they are sponsored by us, in spite of Team YP operating as a completely SFW brand, clearly separated from any adult content, seems unfair to say the least.”
The ESL has not responded to GamesBeat’s request for comment, while GameSpot was also unable to reach the company at press time. For lots more on this story, head to GamesBeat to read the full report.
Team YP runs teams for games like Mortal Kombat X, Evolve, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, StarCraft II, and Ultra Street Fighter IV.
Writing on Twitter, Team YP said it hopes it can overcome “these obstacles.”
Thank you everyone for your support. Team YP will overcome these obstacles and usher in an age of equal opportunity in esports for all.
— Team YP (@TeamYPOfficial) April 23, 2016
— Team YP (@TeamYPOfficial) April 23, 2016