Update 1st Dec: PC Gamer have posted statements from Dreamhack staffers as to Richard Lewis’ future with the company and details on the incident itself.
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Mike Van Driel, a Dreamhack project manager, gave this official statement to PCG:
“Moving forward DreamHack’s very quickly reached the conclusion that we will no longer be hiring or working with Richard Lewis indefinitely. We cannot condone violent behaviour at our events. Jonathan will be welcome at all events in the future, however we would like to reiterate that aggressive behaviour is not acceptable.”
He also gave a full account of the altercation itself, placing the blame for both physical contact and initiation of the argument squarely on Lewis and his actions at the time and throughout the day. This was corroborated by a second Dreamhack official, Christian “Hellspawn” Lord, who posted this tweet:
I was advised to be silent but I can't stand it anymore. @RLewisReports strangled @LodaBerg and I was the (cont) https://t.co/M6e5dN9uFH
— Hellspawn (@Hellspawnlord) December 1, 2015
Original Story, 30th Nov 2015:A Dota 2 pro and an e-sports journalist came to blows at DreamHack Winter this weekend after a verbal dispute “escalated”. Alliance player Jonathan ‘Loda’ Berg confronted Breitbart writer Richard Lewis backstage over a tweet Lewis had written.
DreamHack staff pulled the two apart after things got physical, and called security. The organisers then notified police, who arrived at DreamHack Winter – the mass LAN party and venue for various major e-sports tournaments – to take statements from both parties and witnesses.
The tweet in question concerned a sign which apparently belonged to Berg’s girlfriend, Alliance player manager Kelly ‘kellymilkies’ Ong Xiao Wei.
@RLewisReports Ya Lets meet up and talk about it. Im at dh.
— Jonathan Berg (@LodaBerg) November 28, 2015
And once the incident was over, the conflict returned to Twitter:
So I go and talk to @RLewisReports and he physically assaults me… He strangles me until admins pulled him away. Police inc!
— Jonathan Berg (@LodaBerg) November 28, 2015
Big take home point for me is that a player, who aggressed onto me in a fit of white-knighthood, was pandered to after I defended myself.
— Richard Lewis (@RLewisReports) November 29, 2015
DreamHack have since issued a statement about the “physical confrontation”, co-signed by the pair.
“It is of the utmost importance for DreamHack to operate an event in which all visitors, staff, exhibitors, and competitors can feel safe,” wrote the organisers.
“All parties, DreamHack, Richard Lewis and Loda deeply regret that an environment existed in which this situation occurred, and that the confrontation escalated as it did. All parties have jointly talked with DreamHack Security Crew, as well as police and believe the best actions are to put aside our differences and come together to move forward with the conclusion of DreamHack Winter 2015.”
Berg and Lewis shook hands before the end of the show, though the latter was sufficiently unimpressed by DreamHack’s handling of the event as to suggest he might never work with them again.