Team Liquid Rainbow Six Siege Player Fined After Honda Cancels Sponsorship

by

The professional Rainbow Six Siege player Lucas Dias, who is part of team Liquid, has been penalized by the esports organization due to his publication of material deemed “inappropriate” or insensitive on social networking sites.

In the inaugural R6 RE:LO:AD tournament held in 2025, Dias’ squad faced off against CAG Osaka from Japan on May 13th. Unfortunately, they suffered a defeat and were subsequently eliminated from the competition.

On the very same day, Dias posted on X/Twitter (which has since been removed), saying “We beat Faze and were defeated by strong team CAG, but let’s advance and meet again at the upcoming training camp,” along with an animated GIF depicting a nuclear blast.

Lucas Dias issues apology

On May 15th, Dias posted an apology, saying: “Hello all, I genuinely apologize for the post I shared following our recent defeat. I erred in my choice of GIF, and I recognize now that it may have upset a lot of people.

I genuinely didn’t mean to cause offense, but looking back, I can see now that my words or actions were not suitable within this context,” he explained further.

On the 6th and 9th of August, 1945, two devastating explosions occurred over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, each being triggered by an atomic bomb.

I’d like to offer a heartfelt apology to Japanese fans, both in Japan and Brazil. I understand the significant influence and presence of the Japanese community in our nation, and I realize I could have been more thoughtful and careful with my social media post.

Honda terminates Team Liquid sponsorship

Honda, a Japanese automaker, announced on their website that they have chosen to end their sponsorship deal with the team in question, as stated in response to Dias’ post.

Honda confirmed they had “terminated” its sponsorship of Team Liquid in a post on their website.

Honda expresses sincere regret if this event has offended members of the e-sports community, as well as individuals in Japan and around the world.

Lucas Dias fined by Team Liquid

On May 19th, Team Liquid expressed their viewpoint that Dias’s initial post did not originate from any harmful intentions. Instead, they believe the unfavorable outcome was due to a significant oversight and lack of understanding in judgment.

To our audience and Japanese esports enthusiasts, we deeply realize that our previous post may have come across as disrespectful and painful. We wholeheartedly apologize for causing such feelings, and wish to extend our heartfelt regrets.

The team has clearly defined measures to avert repeat occurrences, such as imposing a four-month fine on Dias equivalent to his earnings and having other Team Liquid members forfeit their prizes from the Reload tournament to charitable causes.

In the coming six months, it’s planned that all Liquid employees will undergo compulsory retraining sessions, utilizing Dias’ initial post as an illustrative example in real-life scenarios.

Regarding Honda’s decision to end their sponsorship, Liquid stated: “While we are disappointed by this turn of events, we acknowledge and appreciate the choice, and express our gratitude to Honda Motors for being valuable collaborators for the past six years.

Read More

2025-05-19 17:19