KovaQ, Swiss VALORANT player Blendi Kovaci, was terminated by FunPlus Phoenix after an in-game message containing anti-Asian slurs toward Chinese people.

FPX immediately suspended him, froze match participation, cut his salary, and launched an investigation before terminating the contract within hours.

The incident occurred during a teammate’s broadcast, and the slur was sent via whisper in-game, prompting swift action from FPX and widespread backlash in the community.

Reactions on VLR.gg and Reddit ranged from disbelief to disgust, with critics highlighting the insult to the Chinese host nation and questioning the wisdom of the move to a Chinese organization.

FPX emphasizes a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct and signals that this may end KovaQ’s VCT CN career as the team seeks a new in-game leader to stabilize the roster.

KovaQ publicly apologized, calling the remark inappropriate, expressing regret, taking responsibility, and saying he would take time away from social media to reflect.