A streamer who was unceremoniously kicked out of a Marvel Rivals competition has had the last laugh thanks to some kind-hearted donations. After his team turned on him following heated discussion over their roster, Kingsman265's been given the equivalent of what he would’ve won, had he been able to compete and managed to come first.
It starts with the Deadpool Creator Cup, a tournament orchestrated by another streamer, BazimZB, in collaboration with NetEase to help promote the hero shooter in the wake of the Merc with a Mouth's arrival. As is standard for these events, teams of streamers and video makers come together to play against one another for cash prizes.
The prize pool here totaled $40,000, with the top prize awarding $3,000 to each member of the winning team. A draft on January 13 decided the teams, giving five days to practice together before the tournament itself on January 18.
Kingsman265 was drafted on Team Cece, with creators Cece, BigPuffer, Zazzastack, Luciyasa, and Kayceedilla. During a session together, some tension broke out over their combined choices, as Kingsman265, who's spent a lot of time on Marvel Rivals, believed they could optimize more.
"I've been Rank 1 before, I've been top 500 on every role. I'm very accomplished, I know what I’m doing, I'm not being egotistical about it, I'm simply stating the facts," he said while the team practiced together on stream, per a video explaining the situation he posted on January 18. "I'm just here to win the tournament, I need that money, I'm fucking broke, I like money, and $3,000 is a lot of money for me."
Others weren't keen on his attitude, and he found himself removed from the squad. According to Cece, "disrespectful" comments warranted discussions between the other teammates. "Basim was not having it. He asked me, and I was like 'If you think so.' Lowkey, I didn't want the disrespect either," she said in a livestream following the debacle.
But Kingsman265's video, currently at over 1,500,000 views and rising, quietly attracted swathes of new viewers, providing him with a glorious surprise when he sat down to stream on January 20. "This is ridiculous," he laughs. "I've already made more than the $3,000 that I would have won for first place in the tournament, so stop giving me money. I don't want pity money."
Meanwhile, Cece apologized for how she handled the situation in a statement on Twitter. "Emotions were high and I failed to notice which resulted in me snapping at Kingsman," she wrote. "I apologize as no matter what, raising voices and instantly shutting down a teammate is not the right thing to do." She has since been dropped by sponsor InfinityMice, who're trying to contact Kingsman.
Marvel Rivals has many of the most powerful heroes and villains across the publisher's history, yet none of them are quite as strong as an enflamed community. Well, except maybe Squirrel Girl (if you know, you know).
