FlyQuest Coach Resigns After Insensitive Rant on Mental Health
FlyQuest coach Brandon “Saintvicious” DiMarco has left the League of Legends team following a controversial rant about mental health.
During a live stream on Friday night, Saintvicious made disparaging remarks about mental health issues, dismissing depression and anxiety as “made-up bullshit.” The League community was quick to condemn his comments, especially since he was responsible for guiding young players. Schalke 04 Esports jungler Jonas “Memento” Elmarghichi tweeted: “The way he blatantly and ignorantly speaks about it is sickening.”
Related: Saintvicious makes controversial statement about depression on-stream
FlyQuest released a statement on Saturday night announcing Saintvicious’ resignation. The statement expressed appreciation for his work over the past year and wished him success in his future endeavors.
In a Facebook post prior to FlyQuest’s announcement, Saintvicious apologized for his “seriously inconsiderate” remarks and expressed regret for his lack of knowledge about mental health issues. He acknowledged that as a coach, understanding mental health is an essential part of his responsibilities.
In the meantime, the League of Legends team will be led by coach David “cop” Roberson and FlyQuest Academy coach Gabriel “Invert” Zoltan-Johan until further notice, according to FlyQuest’s statement.
The incident has sparked a larger discussion about mental health in esports within the League of Legends community. Various esports personalities, including OGN caster Max “Atlus” Anderson, have come forward to share their own experiences with mental health. Anderson tweeted a reminder to not assume others are okay just because you may be okay, emphasizing that depression should never be discounted.
FlyQuest, coach, Brandon “Saintvicious” DiMarco, resignation, League of Legends, mental health, controversy, remarks, criticism, Schalke 04 Esports, Jonas “Memento” Elmarghichi, apology, responsibility, team leadership, David “cop” Roberson, Gabriel “Invert” Zoltan-Johan, discussion, esports, OGN, Max “Atlus” Anderson, reminder, depression.