“This is why we needed ESL Impact”: The HEROIC post is more serious than esports would like to admit

A few days ago, Norwegian esports organization HEROIC caused an uproar within the esports community with a divisive post on X (formerly Twitter).

The post intends to trash-talk Saudi Arabian esports organization Team Falcons by putting its logo next to a photo of actress Sydney Sweeney under the caption “t*ts or a**.” However, as pointed out by several esports fans and professionals, the punchline of this “joke” is rooted in misogyny. It reduces the actress to a single body part and sexualizes her without her consent. 

Disappointingly, however, public reactions to the “meme” were mixed rather than decisively critical, with some fans fiercely defending the punchline. Moreover, HEROIC has neither taken the post down nor offered a public statement in response to the community criticism. 

What might seem harmless to some trivializes misogyny and sends a message of exclusion to the broader esports community.

In our increasingly polarizing world, certain labels introduced or frequently used in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) movements can be perceived as buzzwords to cast blame and shame on another group of people who don’t agree with the “softness” of the “woke mob.” Terms like “misogyny,” “sexist,” “racist,” or “gaslighting” are to be feared or resented and thus often create defensiveness instead of reflection.

This has been a common phenomenon, especially when it comes to the contentious subject of humor. How far is humor allowed to go? The HEROIC post might seem harmless to some, perhaps many, individuals. It might be a distasteful joke, unfit for a professional organization, but ultimately, the caption reflects a well-known topic of conversation, particularly within male-dominated communities.

Perfect meme material, right?

So, what’s the harm in a post like that? The harm is created by reducing Sydney Sweeney to one aspect of her body in a highly sexualized context. Not only that, but her body is also used as a punchline without Sweeney’s consent. Yes, women might choose to celebrate their bodies or express their sexuality. The important distinction here is that it must be their choice when and how that is done. Consent is the difference maker between exploitation and bodily autonomy.

“She’s a person by the way, not an inanimate object,” commented esports on-air talent Frankie Ward on a later version of the “meme” created by a fan-made Fortnite award show, Competitive Awards.

The hypersexualization of women’s bodies without their consent affects both our professional and private lives, ranging from our choice of clothing to breastfeeding in public. It is also why many women in public-facing or corporate roles try to hide their bodies in fear of becoming the target of unwanted sexualization or judgment.

Whether it’s showing too much or too little skin, the male gaze easily finds ways to place judgments upon women’s intentions, value, or expertise based on a single glance.

HEROIC’s post is a product of the male gaze and conveys a particularly problematic aspect of it. “We saw a woman and all we saw was t*ts.” Regardless of the organization’s intentions, this is the message conveyed. And due to its extremely objectifying lens, this post was also created for the male gaze alone. 

There’s little to no room for women to participate in this kind of content because it inherently devalues us. Therefore, the second message conveyed is one of marginalization and exclusion. “Our organization is not a safe space for you. You are not welcome here.” 

Do I need to spell out why that message is so harmful on an esports organization’s official social media account? Because esports should be for everyone. Everyone should be encouraged to participate without fear of objectification. In reality, though, the vast majority of women in esports have been facing similar “jokes” and harmful messaging throughout their careers.

And we’re tired of it.

“Every day I stare down this misogynistic, stupid, unfunny goddamn industry with disgust,” shared esports journalist Hanah Marie on X. “If you consider yourself to be any level of professional, keep this ridiculous poor taste bs to yourself, and think about why you think it’s acceptable to consider women as objects.”

Women and allies have been advocating for better gender inclusion since the advent of our industry. And yet, decades later, a globally recognized organization shares a misogynistic “meme” without any reflective follow-up. Although progress has been made in areas such as inclusive competitive opportunities for marginalized genders, we haven’t seen much upward mobility among female players joining Tier 1 co-ed teams or tournaments. 

Specifically, Counter-Strike, the esports title HEROIC is best known for, saw a tangible step back in gender equity. In October last year, the title’s dedicated women’s circuit, ESL Impact, was suspended indefinitely. 

“This is why we needed ESL Impact btw,” summarized Counter-Strike streamer GRUGCEL.

Esports professional Jenna Savage argued in a recent X post: “Sexism in gaming and esports is becoming the norm again. These brands don’t care about the response as long as they get clicks.”

Some of the responses to HEROIC’s post have seemingly proven such concerns. They range from ignorant dismissal to personal attacks against critical voices. Moreover, notable social media accounts across Counter-Strike, Fortnite, and League of Legends have adopted HEROIC’s template for their own posts.

Those openly celebrating HEROIC’s “meme” might represent a small, loud minority, but the organization’s silence is even louder. HEROIC made no public efforts to apologize for promoting misogynistic messaging, they did not vow to do better in the future, and the post itself remains on their X account.

Esports Insider also reached out to HEROIC and has received no reply so far.

To be clear, I’m not accusing HEROIC of having malicious intent with this post. Mistakes happen in any business operation, whether due to a lack of monitoring by higher management, limited DEI knowledge, or simple misjudgment. HEROIC management might not agree with the sexist messaging of their social media post. 

Plus, HEROIC might simply have chosen silence as the best damage reduction strategy for their business — continue like nothing happened until the negative attention dies down. While that might avoid further scrutiny from critics, it is also irresponsible. That additional layer of ignorance is what I’m criticizing. Esports organizations are leaders in our field, and they should also act accordingly. They should hold themselves accountable where necessary, lead by example, admit mistakes, do better, and rebuild lost trust. 

“It is very important to at least do the bare minimum and consult with other people — specifically women and other marginalized groups — to get a second perspective,” emphasized one X user. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think this tweet was made with malice, but it was absolutely made with ignorance.”

Since HEROIC’s divisive post, an X user has come forward, alleging that they were fired from the organization after serving as its social media manager for three years. It remains unconfirmed whether HEROIC has taken internal action, such as laying off social media staff. However, even if those responsible for the post have received repercussions behind the scenes, I still believe public action would have been more impactful in minimizing the harm.

Sure, they cannot end systemic DEI issues or stop anti-LGBTQ legislation. But they carry significant social power and status in their field. They have a voice, and they can choose how to use it. They should listen to marginalized voices in esports to stop perpetuating harmful tropes and help break down barriers to an inclusive and equitable ecosystem.

Because if they don’t listen to women, then why should their followers?