Kurt0411 FIFA Ban

Overview

Kurt0411 FIFA Ban refers to the decision by EA to ban top FIFA player Kurt Fenech, aka Kurt0411 from playing any of its titles after what they described as "serious and repeat offenses," including threatening other players and staff. After he had received a ban from FIFA 20 in November of 2019, various EA employees were hacked on Twitter and their accounts tweeted messages in support of Fenech. He was given a full ban on all EA games on February 24th, 2020.

Background

In November of 2019, FIFA banned top FIFA player Kurt0411 from any FIFA 20 competition due to disrespectful behavior, including spitting on an EA logo and being verbally abusive to players and staff.^[1] Shortly after the ban, accounts of EA employees were hacked and began tweeting messages of support for the gamer.^[2] On February 24th, 2020, the EA account tweeted that they had banned Kurt0411 from playing any EA games or accessing their services in the future.^[3] His YouTube and Twitch videos were copystruck by EA as well.

Developments

After the ban, people debated if the ban was justified. Fenech alleged that the ban was done so that he would not become the face of professional FIFA when he is so critical of the game^[4] (shown below).

In a long post in an /r/OutOfTheLoop thread,^[5] Redditor BigReeceJames outlined the situation by positing the FIFA series had become less fun in recent years and more of a "money-making scheme" and that Kurt0411 had been one of the most visible and vocal critics of the series. BigReeceJames also noted that Fenech was not invited to EA's "game changers" club, a collection of top Fifa players EA rewards with scoops and perks for this reason, and posited the "game changers" club existed so "EA can act with complete power in their community. They do whatever they like and the content creators will only highlight the good parts because they don't want to lose access to the 'game changers' group." BigReeceJames posited the lifetime ban was done as a message to other top FIFA players that EA will not tolerate criticism of their product.

Keemstar tweeted saying he had spoken with Fenech and had made a "documentary deal" with him^[6] (shown below).

Search Interest

External References