The gaming company Capcom has banned player Ryan “FChamp” Ramirez (Filipino Champ) from all his fighting game tournaments. The player was previously considered an excellent eSports athlete in series such as “Street Fighter” or “Marvel vs. Capcom“, but also as a ring villain. He seems to have taken the role too seriously.
This is the player: Ryan “FChamp” Ramirez is regarded as an excellent player in fighting games. He won the major tournament EVO in 2012 for the game “Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3”.
The American was considered a strong player in Street Fighter and one of the best in the world in “Marvel vs. Capcom.”
Player considered one of the best villains in the scene
This was special about FChamp: Ramirez often played the villain at tournament events and had the audience booing him by treating and provoking his opponents disrespectfully. This serves – like in wrestling – to hype the audience and create excitement.
In recent years, however, he has not been as active.
This is his punishment: As Capcom states, the player is forever banned from all events and tournaments organized by Capcom. This applies to the Capcom Pro Tour, the Street Fighter League, and everything else. This is a worldwide ban.
This is why he was banned: The player sent out a tweet that has since been deleted. It featured a watermelon and the hashtag #WatermelonLivesMatter (via twitter).
This is a reference to the “BlackLivesMatter” movement in the USA: A watermelon has historically often been associated with racist caricatures of black people.
Player says: Insensitive, but not racist
This is what the player says: He admits that the tweet was “insensitive”, but says he did not intend to hurt anyone. He also does not believe the tweet was racist. He states:
It was definitely not right to do that. I will not deny it. […] But I do not think it was in any way racist. I really don’t believe that.
This is how it is being discussed: Under Capcom’s ban on Twitter, there are various streams in the replies:
- Some reject the outrage culture (Cancel-Culture) – Capcom would be removing passionate gamers from the community. That is intolerant
- Others wish that Capcom now takes a similarly hard stance against other players who they believe have also behaved incorrectly
- Some find the decision too harsh. The player has not done anything wrong over the years and has been a positive influence – one bad joke should not be grounds for a ban
FChamp is regarded as a villain in the world of fighting games and seems to have taken his role far too seriously. Over the years, Daigo Umehara became a legend in Street Fighter, who has a highly exciting life story that motivated him:
Street Fighter: Pro was beaten up at 13 for being too good – This shaped him
