The name of a supposed professional player is currently circulating in the Overwatch community: Ellie. After a heated controversy and much dispute, it is now clear that Ellie never existed. Blizzard explains in a statement how this fake came to be.
What happened? A team from the Overwatch Contenders, Second Wind, wanted to sign a new player. This player only went by the name “Ellie” and disclosed nothing else about herself.
Ellie was sharply scrutinized by the community and labeled a fake. MeinMMO reported.
Shortly thereafter, information came to light that confirmed the community’s assumptions: Ellie was merely the alter ego of another player. In a video, Cloud9 streamer Aspen explained that the player Punisher used the name Ellie for a “social experiment”.
This is the current status: In a statement, Blizzard confirmed that Ellie never existed as a player. Second Wind announced the signing of Ellie before her account was verified by Blizzard.
Therefore, the controversy was possible at all.
How could this happen?
This is what Second Wind says: The professional team explained in a TwitLonger post how the situation arose. The culprits were time pressure, which forced the team to fill the roster faster:
Out of desperation to fill the roster, we overlooked important information that should have been scrutinized more carefully. We did not spend enough time communicating with the public as an opportunity to support our players. As a result, we created more questionable scenarios than necessary.
Ellie had previously been known to the team. Some members of Second Wind had played with Ellie and confirmed the player’s quality. Since the account was also ranked 4th in North America, the offer was ultimately made.
This is what Blizzard says: Second Wind contacted Blizzard to clarify the controversy that had arisen. Blizzard confirmed to the US site Unikrn that Ellie was merely a “made-up identity and the smurf account” of another player.
This player had no current or former connection to the Overwatch Contenders or the Overwatch League. Additionally, Ellie was never an official member of Second Wind at any time. Therefore, the official verification was missing.
Whether the owner of the account is indeed Punisher, as streamer Aspen claims, has not been confirmed by Blizzard.
Verification prevents such situations: Blizzard also stated that such situations should not be able to occur. A verification like the one that was initiated usually happens before a player is announced in the team.
As part of the process of officially adding a player to a Contenders or Overwatch League roster, we first conduct a background check to ensure that players are who they claim to be and meet further eligibility requirements. We take action against players if we find behavior that warrants action.
The issue surrounding Ellie arose because Second Wind made a mistake, which the team also admitted: They announced the signing too early.
However, there is no punishment for Second Wind because they were just as misled as the community.
What do you think about the situation?
eSports is a tough business. A prominent figure comments on the status of the Overwatch eSports:
