Former Overwatch League franchise Boston Uprising DPS player Jonathan “DreamKazper” Sanchez has issued a statement on social media about his suspension. This marks the first time the player has spoken publicly about the sexual misconduct issue and comes nearly two years after he was suspended for his actions.
I'm Sorry…
Read: https://t.co/Qs8ZUM7b6n
— DreamKazper (@DreamKazper) October 6, 2019
Late apology
“I know it’s been a long time since I’ve reached out to anyone but it’s been really difficult and scary to even communicate or speak to anyone, it still is. I have made bad decisions in my life that I take full responsibility for and will not make any excuses regarding it,” wrote DreamKazper in his statement. “I really want to apologize to everyone that I hurt during the situation and those that were involved in it. Ever since that incident, I’ve been repenting my actions and working on myself to change because I want to become a better person towards those around me.”
His message seems very template-like about how he made bad decisions and wanted to apologize to everyone. He describes himself as “repenting [his] actions,” but reports after his suspension seem to suggest otherwise.
In addition, Sanchez states that it was “scary to even communicate… to anyone,” but it was his own actions that led to the incident. This statement might make sense if it were an individual suffering trauma from an automobile accident. However, he was the one who sexually took advantage of underaged girls.
Nevertheless, one of DreamKazper’s alleged victims shared an apology from him sent to her, which is provided without further comment:
https://twitter.com/mapIebIossom/status/1180898641676034048
Sexual misconduct
In April of 2018, sexual misconduct allegations against the player surfaced just months into the Overwatch League’s first season. This issue first came up after a 14-year-old high school freshman (“Lily” in the above tweet) posted a detailed document online about the player trying to start an online sexual relationship with her. Sanchez was 21 at the time. Despite knowing her age, he still solicited her for sexually explicit images. She was a fan of the organization, but Sanchez used this status instead to exploit and take advantage of her.
After this was brought to light, another young woman also spoke up with a similar story about DreamKazper. This 16-year-old individual brought up how Sanchez had purchased her a plane ticket to California. When she rejected it because she wasn’t able to spontaneously visit him, DreamKazper requested nude photographs from her because “she owed him.” The Boston Uprising and Blizzard Entertainment started an investigation into the allegation. This led to the Uprising terminating his contract on April 9 and banning him from participating in the league.
DreamKazper persists
DreamKazper is an American player who started playing Overwatch competitively in 2016. Upon joining the Uprising, he was considered a skilled DPS player at the time with the dive meta. Since being suspended, reports came up about how the disgraced player had transitioned to boosting Overwatch accounts to make ends meet. Guangzhou Charge DPS player Charlie “nero” Zwarg also posted a screenshot to social media in September of 2019 showing DreamKazper still playing but with his name lazily reversed.
https://twitter.com/ow_nero/status/1174023216311889920
“I will continue to strive to work my hardest and improve myself as a person and a player. I cannot change what has happened in the past but I will work to be a better person for the future,” wrote Sanchez to end this statement. “I know it might be difficult for anyone to forgive me for my actions and I’m not asking for forgiveness but It is never too late to make things right.”
Lack of punishment
DreamKazper never received any jail time or punishment outside of his suspension. The resolution of the sexual misconduct issue is also said to be one of the reasons why former Uprising Head Coach Dae-hee “Crusty” Park left the team. One would think Blizzard Entertainment would at least ban his accounts or the Uprising would help pursue legal action during risk management. If DreamKazper truly wants to “make things right,” he must walk the walk with his talk.
