The Overwatch pro Walid “Mouffin” Bassal was fired by his team Boston Uprising after a complaint about his sexual misconduct became public. Now he shares his perspective in a long and intimate statement.
Why was Mouffin fired? We reported on MeinMMO that Twitch streamer KhaleesiBB made some allegations against Overwatch pro Mouffin on Twitter on March 27:
- he allegedly abused his status as an Overwatch pro in the league to hit on underage girls. He sent them nude pictures and requested more
- he was also said to be “handsy” with women, having pressured them
- he had behaved “creepily” towards women in general
The player’s team, Boston Uprising, had initially placed Mouffin on the bench after the streamer’s allegations and announced they would investigate the case.
A week later, they terminated Mouffin’s contract.
Boston Uprising had been involved in a similar incident two years ago: in 2018, they fired Overwatch pro Jonathan “DreamKazper” Sanchez (then 21) for allegedly hitting on a teenager.
Pro gives long statement to justify himself
This is what Mouffin says: The tank specialist Mouffin remained silent for a long time and has only now, after his dismissal, released a statement. The statement is long and complicated.
Mouffin generally admits that he has a “lustful side”. And even though he had attempted to improve himself and be a role model in the past, this side had come to the forefront.
He initially thought he hadn’t treated women like objects, but now, upon closer inspection, he must say: He had behaved like a complete jerk.
Mouffin then explains in detail how various relationships with women played out and how they developed.
Family pressure to marry “girls from the village” caused haste
This is the core: Mouffin was born in Canada, but his family is from Lebanon, and the family seems to play a significant role in his life and appears to be extremely conservative. In an interview in July 2019, Mouffin stated about his family: It was as if they still lived in the 1950s. (via readysetpwn)
Essentially, Mouffin says in the statement that he was looking for a Muslim woman whom he loved, and with whom his family would agree. Because he was under family pressure to find a wife. An arranged marriage was waiting for him. The family pressured him to marry a “girl from his village” in Lebanon. The marriage had been arranged for years.
At that time, he was playing as an Overwatch pro. It was a “culture clash.”
When he then met – in Germany – a Muslim woman with Filipino roots who had just turned 18, Mouffin thought this was the chance to find someone his family would approve of, so he wouldn’t have to choose between love and family.
But the family found Mouffin’s new girlfriend not religious enough, and they apparently had a problem with her ethnicity. This forced Mouffin to choose between breaking up with the woman or being disowned by the family. Ultimately, the relationship with his girlfriend ended because of this conflict.
The family then gave him an ultimatum to enter into the arranged marriage. Mouffin seemed to panic about this and had to hurry to find another suitable woman. He wanted a woman:
- with whom he could either live to escape the arranged marriage and his family – KhaleesiBB would have fit this mold
- or at least one he could introduce to his parents, in order to at least avoid the arranged marriage
In his haste, he damaged and hurt many women. He now regrets this. The matter has “bitten him in the ass.”
Mouffin wants to marry after dismissal, return to Lebanon
What’s next for Mouffin: Ultimately, he is now, after his dismissal as an Overwatch pro, at a point where he wants to go through with the arranged marriage. He must complete the marriage, he sees no other way if he doesn’t want to throw his whole life away. At this point, he honestly has nothing left to lose.
The arranged marriage will surely be tough, as the woman does not understand English and he does not speak Arabic. They will likely have to communicate somehow in French. Besides, he has nothing in common with the woman he will soon marry. But at least he can offer her a better life than in her village.
He feels he deserves this fate anyway. He does not deserve to choose someone he loves after everything he has done and whom he has hurt.
Now he wants to return to his family, go back to school, and find something to build a future with. Furthermore, he wants to start therapy to become a better person.
How does the Twitch streamer react? She is not really convinced. She says she cannot believe that someone explains his “pedophilic behavior” with “I was looking for love.”
From KhaleesiBB’s perspective, Mouffin regrets nothing, only that he got caught and is now losing everything. She seems quite satisfied with herself.
