Joseph ‘Mang0’ Marquez has been dropped from esports organization Cloud9 as a direct result of his inappropriate behavior at Ludwig’s recent Super Beerio Kart event that was streamed for all to see.
Ludwig hosted his latest alcohol-infused Mario Kart competition on June 21. After being eliminated early, the actions of professional Smash Bros. player Mang0 came into question.
Making other popular streamers like Maya visibly uncomfortable as a result of his drunken behavior, Mang0 was quickly banned from all future events hosted by Ludwig. Notably, this is far from the first time Mang0 has been in trouble for his drinking.
After the fact, the renowned Smash pro assured he would apologize privately to anyone he made uncomfortable, and that he would “accept any consequences that come [his] way.”
Now, the consequences are piling up. Cloud9 has decided to release Mang0, effective immediately.
Cloud9 drops Mang0 after over a decade with org
“Following an internal evaluation, we have made the decision to release mang0 from Cloud9,” a statement from the organization read on June 23.
“Regardless of tenure or accomplishments, the behavior demonstrated is entirely unacceptable and directly conflicts with our organization’s core values.”
“We wish mang0 the best in his future endeavors.”
Mang0 had been a core part of Cloud9 since 2014. Throughout his time under the blue brand, he’s long-been ranked among the world’s very best Melee players, winning dozens of events and occurring roughly $300,000 in prize pool winnings alone.
Moments after Cloud9’s statement was shared across social media, Mang0 addressed the situation.
“C9 dropping me,” he confirmed on X (previously Twitter). “Probably getting banned from tourneys. No one to blame but myself. Never thought I could hit this low.”
“Probably won’t hear from me for a while. Sorry everyone. Wish I was better. I had it all and tossed it in the trashcan.”
For now, it’s obviously unclear how Mang0’s future in the competitive Smash scene will play out. At the time of writing, no high-profile tournament organizers have publicly confirmed an intention to bar the player.