Team Liquid Fines Rainbow Six Siege Pro After Honda Ends Sponsorship Over Controversial Post

Team Liquid has issued a public apology and fined Lucas "Dias" Dias, a professional Rainbow Six Siege player, following a social media post that triggered backlash and led to the termination of the organization’s long-standing sponsorship with Honda.

📉 Controversial Post Follows Tournament Loss

The controversy began on May 13, shortly after Team Liquid was eliminated from R6 RE:LO:AD 2025 by Japanese team CAG Osaka. Following the defeat, Dias posted on X (formerly Twitter):

“We won against Faze and lost against the powerful CAG, but let’s move forward and see you at the next camp,”—accompanied by a GIF of a nuclear explosion.

The post, now deleted, drew sharp criticism due to its perceived insensitivity toward Japan, given the historical context of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings during World War II.

📝 Lucas Dias Issues Public Apology

On May 15, Dias issued a formal apology:

“I want to sincerely apologize for the post I made after our last loss. I made a big mistake using that GIF, and I understand that it may have caused discomfort to many people.”

He emphasized that there was no intent to offend and offered a direct apology to Japanese fans, including those in Brazil and Japan, acknowledging the post’s poor judgment and lack of cultural sensitivity.

Honda Ends 6-Year Sponsorship with Team Liquid

The fallout continued on May 16, when Honda Motor Company—a Team Liquid sponsor for six years—announced it would terminate its partnership due to the incident:

“We deeply apologize for any offense this incident may have caused not only to the esports community, but also to many people in Japan and globally.”

💼 Team Liquid Responds, Fines Dias

On May 19, Team Liquid released a detailed statement outlining its response. While reaffirming that Dias had no malicious intent, the org acknowledged the serious nature of the misstep:

“To our fans in Japan and the Japanese esports community, we fully understand how this post was disrespectful and hurtful. We sincerely apologize for making you feel this way.”

Key actions Team Liquid is taking:

• Dias will be fined four months’ salary.
• All Reload tournament winnings from the team will be donated to charity.
• Mandatory cultural sensitivity retraining for all staff and players, using this incident as a case study.

Regarding Honda’s sponsorship withdrawal, Team Liquid stated:

“While we regret this outcome, we understand and respect Honda’s decision, and thank them for six years of partnership.”

🌐 Impact and Lessons

This incident highlights the growing importance of cultural awareness and responsible communication in global esports. With large international fanbases and corporate partnerships at stake, even unintended missteps can have wide-reaching consequences.