Imagine participating in a 40K Tournament and just playing for the vibes.
A $40,000 Marvel Rivals tournament and an incident that is currently dividing the community. What happened in the so-called Kingsman drama that's all over the internet right now? We've got you covered – here's what happened.
One Team, Two Goals And An Escalating Conflict
With the launch of Season 6 in Marvel Rivals and the release of one of the most anticipated characters since the game’s launch, NetEase hosted a tournament and invited numerous content creators. Among them were Jay3, Bogur, Necros, and even xQc. The tournament featured a total prize pool of $40,000, with participating players able to win up to $3,000 each.
A content creator named Kingsman was also invited. He is a Top 500 Magik controller player and entered the tournament with a clear set of expectations. From the moment he joined his team, he made it clear that he wanted to approach the tournament as competitively as possible, later explaining that as a college student, the prize money was a significant financial factor for him. He repeatedly emphasized that he was willing to do whatever it takes to win, even offering switching to support as a Top 500 DPS main. His team, however, had different priorities.
Problems began when Kingsman started actively working on an optimal team composition. He quickly faced pushback, as the team, for example, did not want to run three supports, even though this is currently the dominant meta strategy in Marvel Rivals. Kingsman repeatedly pointed out that the other teams would be doing everything they could to win as well, and that without using meta strategies, they would have little chance of competing. His other teammates put more of an emphasis on having fun and that everybody can play whatever they want.
During scrims, discussions about team composition and playstyle quickly centered around Zazzastack’s refusal to switch off Black Widow. Kingsman repeatedly argued that the pick was not optimal for their current team composition. He urged Zazza to play Hela or Winter Soldier, who are considered more competitively viable than Black Widow, but Zazza refused. He consistently framed his criticism around team composition and win conditions, making sure not to insult anyone. As he later put it:
“I’ve been rank one 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. I’m just here to win the tournament, I need that money, I’m [...] broke, I like money, and $3000 is a lot of money for me."
So the conflict continued to escalate. His teammates, including team captain Cece, became increasingly annoyed and reacted accordingly. Eventually, it reached a point where his teammates told him to shut up, mocked him for needing the money to finance his studies, and used Zazza’s occasional good performances to dismiss his criticism.
In the end, the dispute escalated further. Zazza’s partner created a Google doc outlining what he described as Kingsman’s toxic behavior, which ultimately led to Kingsman being removed from the team and, as a result, from the tournament itself.
The Aftermath Of The Kingsman Drama
Kingsman’s removal from the team effectively ended the competitive dispute. The events that followed would shift the focus away from gameplay and toward public reactions and accountability. In the aftermath of the drama, Cece posted an apology:
“I also apologize for calling Kingsman a loser. And I should not have read that chat in the first place. It was very disrespectful as Kingsman was just trying to win. And as a leader, I needed to lead without emotions and a clear view. I said good vibes are important, but failed to create that properly.”
However, the drama continued on January 21, when Kingsman shared a Google document containing direct messages between himself and Cece. In those messages, Cece accused him of being responsible for the harassment she has received. Kingsman, however, repeatedly stated in his videos that he does not tolerate harassment toward any creators involved in the situation and that he would ban such behavior in his chat. Cece further accused him of taking statements out of context and claimed that he had thrown her under the bus.
The tournament organizer, Basim, also faced criticism. In a video, he addressed the drama and took full responsibility for the decision. He emphasized that it was ultimately his call to remove Kingsman from the tournament, justifying the move by stating that Kingsman had violated the rules and that a strict zero-tolerance policy was in place. However, many pointed out that, under the same standard, disciplinary action against Kingsman’s teammates would have been at least equally appropriate.
Many creators within the Marvel Rivals community reacted to the situation. Bogur said on stream that expectations within the team had not aligned from the very beginning. In his view, it would have made more sense to move Kingsman to a different team rather than removing him from the tournament entirely.
TimTheTatman also commented on the incident. While he stated that he had not followed the situation in detail, he noted that he generally takes issue with players refusing to switch characters when doing so would clearly benefit the team.
The drama gained even more attention when Asmongold and MoistCr1TiKaL released videos discussing the situation. Even the Atlanta Hawks referenced the drama on social media.
@atlhawks This whole drama is so funny #marvel #rivals #kingsman #tournament #streamer
horse type beat - OPM PONY
In the end, Kingsman benefited significantly from the increased attention. The following day, he streamed on Twitch and reportedly earned more than $3,000 in a single broadcast. He also became a Twitch partner, while one of Cece’s sponsors, Infinity Mice, ended its partnership with her.
So the next time you queue into ranked, maybe try not to play solely for the vibes, alright?
What’s your take on the drama? Let us know in the comments!
