After being targeted by another streamer, Twitch streamer and Fnatic AD carry Upset’s wife, who is also a Twitch streamer, receiving death threats.
League of Legends is one of the most popular video games in the world, and many gamers have achieved celebrity status as a result of their participation. While this popularity has changed the course of many streamers’ careers and allowed people to make a living doing what they love, the attention League of Legends players receive can also have a negative side. Elias ‘Upset’ Lipp and his family discovered this when his wife, Paula, a Twitch streamer who goes by the screen name paulaeal, was recently harassed, including receiving death threats.
With the rise of streaming as a career and the erosion of online privacy, cyberbullying has become a more serious issue in recent years. Some streamer conflicts result in over-the-top public spectacles intended to entertain viewers, while others can result in very real suffering.
Fnatic AD carry Upset left FNC before the group stage of the 2021 LoL World Champions, citing a “family emergency.” He doesn’t appear to have been under any official pressure to reveal the full explanation, but former Fnatic top laner Adam ‘Adam’ Maanane, now with BDS, didn’t seem to think so. Upset may have abandoned the team and “just left to join his girlfriend because she felt bad about being alone,” according to Adam. With League of Legends being considered for inclusion in the Olympics, fans may be disappointed to see such high-level players acting so immaturely.
To make matters worse, Upset’s wife Paula recently revealed on Twitter that one of Adam’s decisions has resulted in death threats against her. In response to Upset’s abrupt departure without explanation, Adam allegedly changed his username to ‘Lonely Wife UwU,’ a decision Paula claims is directly responsible for her daily harassment. Upset has also spoken out against Adam, claiming that he offered to speak with him in person to clear things up, but Adam has declined. This isn’t the first time a streamer’s poor choices have resulted in negative consequences.
In a tweet, Upset theorized that Adam was deliberately inflaming anti-Paula sentiment while avoiding conversation. Drama, which can quickly draw a lot of attention to a streamer, could be one reason for this, especially since BDS and Fnatic are expected to compete in the LEC. Adam, for one, is said to have attempted to chastise Fnatic management for allowing Upset to leave, as well as Upset himself.
