OWL: Guangzhou Charge Release Eileen Because of “Inappropriate Personal Conduct”

Guangzhou Charge just took a decision that surprised most Overwatch League fans. The team is parting ways with Yiliang “Eileen” Ou in fear of “inappropriate personal conduct.”

“We have done so after careful consideration of relevant factors including risks to our team from inappropriate personal conduct as well as the future development of our team,” said Guangzhou Charge. Eileen hasn’t yet commented on this decision.

Eileen is not the first Guangzhou Charge player to cause a scandal

Eileen is not the first Guangzhou Charge player accused of having inappropriate personal conduct. In 2020, the team signed flex DPS player Cai “Krystal” Shilong. Krystal previously played with Hangzhou Spark, who permanently banned him from the team. The player violated his contract on many occasions, regularly missing scrims and even going AWOL for 10 days to hang with his girlfriend.

After being banned from Hangzhou Spark, Guangzhou Charge gave him a new shot in the Overwatch League. The team signed him as a two-way player with its academy team, Ignite One. In their official announcement, Guangzhou Charge stated that “every player deserves a chance to restart.”

Why is Eileen leaving Guangzhou Charge?

Two years after these events, another player from Guangzhou Charge is under the spotlight, but not for the right reasons. The reasons behind the departure of Eileen are still blurry, as “risks to our team from inappropriate personal conduct” is pretty vague.

The team hasn’t revealed much more about the reason behind Eileen’s departure. The flex DPS player is used to scandals. Last year, Eileen reportedly cheated on two girls but claimed that he did not spread any STDs. While these are personal matters and shouldn’t affect his career, this still made the news and shed another light on the player.

Despite these accusations, the team took no action. Guangzhou Charge is now releasing Eileen, with no new apparent event causing this decision. There might be more going on behind the scenes, but neither the team nor the player commented on it at the time of this writing.

Eileen was one of the most popular Guangzhou Charge players

Eileen was an iconic Guangzhou Charge player. He was with the team since late 2018, helping his team rank in the Overwatch League with his deadly Genji plays. He contributed to Guangzhou Charge’s victory in the Overwatch League 2020 Summer Showdown and its qualification for the Asian Playoffs.

Outside of the Overwatch League, Eileen was also one of the faces of Guangzhou Charge. He recently attended the opening ceremony for the Guangzhou Loong Lions’ 21-22 basketball season as Guangzhou Charge's representative.

Most of Guangzhou Charge’s marketing strategy revolved around Eileen. The latest example dates back to three days ago when the team announced the Guangzhou Charge Battle Pass. This upcoming feature would allow fans to unlock in-game team sprays, weapon charms, icons, and skins for watching Guangzhou Charge’s games. Among those rewards was an Eileen legendary skin, which will most likely disappear from this Battle Pass.

Who can replace Eileen in Guangzhou Charge?

Even without signing a new DPS player, Guangzhou Charge can keep on playing in the Overwatch League. The team already has two DPS players: Se-hwan “ChoiSehwan” Choi and Rak-hoon “Develop” Chae. ChoiSehwan plays projectile heroes and Develop specializes in hitscan heroes, so Guangzhou Charge doesn’t need any extra player.

However, having a third DPS player could allow for more flexibility. Guangzhou Charge has several options to replace Eileen. Its academy team in the Overwatch Contenders has three DPS players: Li “Apr1ta” Yuanjinghao, Lei “Jimmy” Yujia, and Liu “Kaneki” Nian.

Besides promoting a player from its academy team, Guangzhou Charge could also opt to sign a free agent or trade a player from another team. No matter who they sign, Guangzhou Charge should ideally pick a flex DPS player to replace Eileen.