FIFA pro player Kurt ‘Kurt0411’ Fenech has been banned by EA from competitive after he spoke negatively about the latest edition of the popular game.
In a video posted to his official YouTube channel, Kurt0411 announced his two-month ban, saying that it stemmed from negative comments he made about the game.
Kurt0411 assured viewers that he’s never broken any rules or done anything out of character, stressing that he was merely speaking from the heart about the game.
Having been competing in FIFA for 10 years, with his most recent showing being a third-place finish at the 2018 FIFA eClub World Cup, Kurt0411 is one of the veterans of the scene and has put his all into the game during his tenure as a player.
“They have taken away the one thing that, as tough as it can be, I enjoy doing the most,” Kurt0411 said of the ban. “I know a lot of people do this strictly for the money and stuff like that, but for me, it was always about the adrenaline rush.”
Kurt0411 spoke in greater detail about the ban on Twitter, alleging that his ban was because he launched “personal attacks” against EA and the creators of FIFA 19.
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— Kurt (@Kurt0411Fifa) October 19, 2018
Despite this being the reason given by EA, Kurt0411 feels as though this shouldn’t have been the case since other pro players have been caught on record “wishing cancer upon an opponent” among other threats.
In his statement, Kurt0411 doubles down on his criticisms of the game, stressing that “the way the game is right now is unacceptable and it’s been like that for the last several years.”
While Kurt0411 admits that EA will likely want to resolve the issue by having him issue an apology, but he says that is something he will not do.
“There’s no chance I’m taking back anything I said,” Kurt0411 vowed in his video. “When the freedom of expression is taken away, what is really left?”
Kurt0411 concluded both his video and post on Twitter by saying that he is done with competitive FIFA and will be “seeking legal advice and proceeding from there.”