Cloud9 has pledged to donate over $1,000 to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for its match against G2 Esports, which was in hot water days ago for posting a suicide joke.
Following its win over the Sentinels on May 5, G2’s Valorant X account posted a meme of an emoji putting a G2-branded gun skin in its mouth. The Valorant community did not take the joke lightly, with pros, casters, and community members saying the post was in poor taste.
“Why is this still up? G2 Esports delete this sh**,” longtime esports commentator Chris Puckett said in a reply to the post.
Many also pointed out how G2 posted the photo during Mental Health Awareness Month and almost a year after a prominent death in the community by suicide.
Cloud9, which plays G2 in the first round of the VCT Americas playoffs, has taken an opportunity to respond to the organization by pledging money to a suicide prevention charity. The org announced ahead of the match that it will donate $1,000 to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention “towards supporting resources for Mental Health Awareness Month.”
Cloud9 will also donate $100 to the charity for every round it wins against G2 during the match. Depending on the result, C9 could donate an additional $2,600 to the charity.
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Cloud9 is proud to donate $1,000 to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention towards supporting resources for Mental Health Awareness Month.Every round makes a difference. For every round won against G2, we will be donating an additional $100 to the AFSP.
— Cloud9 VALORANT (@C9VAL) May 8, 2024
The donation pledge is a not-so-subtle dig at G2, which has kept its post up despite pressure from the community to delete it.
The Valorant community has put its support around the initiative, with members praising the announcement.
“What a wonderful idea,” Valorant caster Tom ‘Tombizz’ Bissmire said in a reply to the post.
Outside of social media, C9 and G2 are battling for a shot at VCT Masters Shanghai qualification. Both teams have yet to appear at an international VCT event in 2024.