EA are reportedly banning players for using the name ‘Andrew Tate’ in Apex Legends, with a number of accounts allegedly suspended for the offense.
The rise and subsequent fall of Andrew Tate has been a big story on the internet in 2022.
The former kickboxer came under increasing scrutiny for his controversial takes and was accused of misogyny for his views on women. Resultantly, he was banned from major social media sites including YouTube and Twitch.
While the creator denounced “attacks” against him, there have been no hints that the decisions will be reversed and some prominent figures have responded positively to the news.
Now, it appears that EA are cracking down on references to the 35-year-old, with the use of his name in Apex Legends appearing to be a bannable offense.
Apex Legends players reportedly banned for name ‘Andrew Tate’
One Redditor, on September 2, claimed they had been banned from the battle royale for the in-game name “Andrew Tate”.
They claimed the figure had been “deplatformed” on Apex and shared a message received from EA.
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The message states that the name “breaks our Positive Play Charter” and, even if intended as a joke, “may still disrupt the game for others”.
It appears that others have been banned for the same offense, with former leaker Garret stating on September 3 that “several people with this username have been banned”.
They attached an identical image of an EA ban message, which also showed that the in-game name is in violation of policies on “hateful conduct”.
As of the time of writing, Respawn and EA have not responded to the apparent development, but players do appear to be getting banned for sporting the former kickboxer’s name in-game.
While some did raise the question of what to do if your name is Andrew Tate and you want to play Apex, there is a simple solution: don’t take the risk and use the name in-game.