Pro FIFA player and streamer Kurt ‘Kurt0411’ Fenech has been banned from all EA games and services, following what the company calls “abusive and threatening messages” directed toward developers and fellow competitive players. It’s an unusually extreme measure, and it follows months of feuding between Fenech and the publisher.
In one example of Fenech’s comments, he called an opponent a “son of a bitch” who “can’t beat me, even on this piece of trash game” during a livestream, as IGN reports. Fenech added “Fuck you, EA,” and spat on a scarf which featured the publisher’s logo. After that incident, Fenech was banned from all FIFA esports competition.
More recently, Fenech joined fellow FIFA pro Amenyah to release an ‘EA diss track’ called Little Rats – referencing Fenech’s frequent comparison of the company to rats. One line – comedically delivered in the music video under an alien mask – says “the alien is here to exterminate these little rats one by one.”
EA posted a statement on Fenech’s ban to the company’s official Twitter account.
An Important message regarding FIFA player Kurt0411. pic.twitter.com/RcHu1hMCup
— Electronic Arts (@EA) February 24, 2020
“Kurt has continued to post abusive and threatening messages and videos about EA employees and competitive players on social media and he has encouraged others to do the same,” EA says. “His messages have crossed a line of decency into very personal attacks and breach our Terms of Service. We will not tolerate threatening behavior. As a result, today Kurt0411’s EA account will be banned from playing our games and accessing our services due to these serious and repeated violations.”
But when everything is said and done we’ll beat them trust me. They have money but we have numbers. Fuck then and everyone on their side
— Kurt (@Kurt0411Fifa) February 24, 2020
For his part, Fenech says “I have never said anything I shouldn’t have,” and suggests that EA is “scared” that he’d win tournaments if he was allowed to participate.