paiN Gaming CEO, Thomas Hamence, has stepped down following the continued fallout of the Alexandre ‘TitaN’ Lima scandal, which saw the League of Legends player depart the organisation after Brazilian police received formal complaints regarding the players’ alleged sexual misconduct.
In a statement shared on X, paiN Gaming stated that, “The latest decisions by paiN Gaming were made treating the organization solely as a company, and that is where we made our mistake.” (translated)
Adding that, “In light of this, we announce that the CEO, Thomas Hamence, is officially stepping down from his position at paiN Gaming.” (translated)
How paiN’s mismanagement of the TitaN scandal ended in CEO’s departure
The news is part of the continued fallout from accusations against TitaN. The Brazilian player was first suspended from paiN following allegations of sexual harassment and the sharing of intimate content by multiple women and one 16-year-old girl.
The organisation’s handling of the matter was criticised by multiple fan groups, with online campaigns urging the organisation to release the suspended player entirely.
A report by Sheep Esports shared that board members of the organisation, when meeting fan groups, argued that the org couldn’t release the player for legal reasons, allegedly stating that the 16-year-old has “stirred up” (translated) the player.
According to the same report, a member of the board also asked fan group members, “at what age the people in the room lost their virginity.” (translated)
Mais Esports also reported that the player was present in training with the paiN roster, despite his suspension and the presence of his Bot Lane replacement Kim ‘Trigger’ Eui-joo.
The organisation’s mishandling of the situation has ultimately led to its CEO’s departure, with the organisation providing the following reflection on its handling of the situation:
“May this stain on our history serve as a reminder to future generations: The paiN fanbase will always be our greatest triumph, and we must honor it.” (translate)
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Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
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