Big news for Black Dragons e-Sports as Thiago “TH7” Valente has been banned from the upcoming Overwatch Contenders playoffs due to account boosting. TH7 confirmed this by posting a lengthy message on TwitLonger.
You can read his full statement down below:
As previously mentioned, I’ll not attend Contenders playoffs.
Well, I don’t know where to start. I could only sleep today after I couldn’t sleep the last two days.
Alright, let’s go. A couple months ago my life became chaotic. Family arguments, my parent’s divorce, my grandfather’s homicide investigation, breaking up a long relationship, moving to a new house (three times), quitting university. All of this happened in a gap of two months. While all this happened, I found myself extremely depressed. My only way out of all these problems was to practice, play tournaments and become better day after day. This was the alternative I found in order to avoid doing anything wrong with myself.
Everything was conspiring to stop me from playing Overwatch. The difficulties were only increasing. As everybody knows, an enormous amount of money is spent with lawyers (for both divorces and investigations), investigative expertise, furniture transport, etc.
The only way I had to help at home, helping my father and having some money for myself was doing account boosting, elojob services. I had no choice if I wanted to keep playing, I don’t want to quit Overwatch. I was sad enough to do it. Moreover, I haven’t graduated, I was not even studying. I ended up getting myself involved in this situation. I always knew it was wrong, but as I said – I had no choice.
I was investigated by Blizzard and punished in the worst possible way. All my accounts have been banned permanently, main and smurf accounts. They still exist, but I will no longer have access to play with them. They now only exist as showcases. I confess that I feel VERY sad in losing my main account, the one that I used since the beginning of Overwatch, the one that made TH7 a known name in South America. Top 500 all seasons, all skins, golden weapons… I would never think that the punishment would be so bad. I believe that’s the first punishment at this level for account boosting.
Besides the suspension and account bans, I was granted an opportunity to start anew. I can resume playing competitively, but I’ll have to buy a new account and start from zero.
I apologize to everyone that follows me in or outside the game. My stream viewers or viewers watching tournaments, my team, Blizzard, all of the South American competitive scene and all players around the world. This text was written to elucidate what happened to me and why I did what I did, no excuses. I’m aware what I did was wrong and I’m not paying for what I did. I’m devastated and will never do it again, even if needed.
Black Dragons e-Sports play paiN Gaming in the Quarterfinals on April 20.
