The nuclear option: EA bans “abusive” FIFA player from all of its games

Fenech responds to his competitive ban in November in a lengthy YouTube message.

Electronic Arts has banned controversial 25-year-old Maltese FIFA esports player Kurt "Kurt0411" Fenech from all EA games and services. The move is an unprecedented escalation in punishment for a player EA has been struggling to deal with publicly for well over a year.

EA says Fenech 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. His messages have crossed a line of decency into very personal attacks and breach our Terms of Service. We will not tolerate threatening behavior."

An Important message regarding FIFA player Kurt0411. pic.twitter.com/RcHu1hMCup

- Electronic Arts (@EA) February 24, 2020

Fenech, who has been banned from EA's professional FIFA esports competitions since November, has continued to host popular FIFA streams on Twitch in a personal capacity in recent months (despite previous threats to quit the game). He wrote on Twitter Monday that "I have never said anything I shouldn't have. This is just deeper than anyone thinks. They didn't want me competing at events [because] they were scared I'd win them, now I'm the 2nd biggest streamer of their game and they're scared I'll overtake their golden boy. But when everything is said and done we'll beat them trust me. They have money but we have numbers. Fuck [them] and everyone on their side."

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