NRG coach Sizz banned from RLCS semifinals after controversial Twitch outburst against Psyonix
The Incident
NRG Esports faces a coaching crisis as Emiliano “Sizz” Benny receives a competition ban following his explosive Twitch stream on June 1. The Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) organizer ruled the coach violated conduct standards during the Intel Open World Qualifiers.
The North American RLCS X Championship semifinal on June 17 will proceed without Sizz’s official participation after his profanity-laced criticism of Psyonix staff, including calling developers “brainless monkeys” during a post-match rant.
The controversial stream occurred after Sizz’s team suffered a narrow defeat in the qualifiers’ final map, where network performance issues appeared to affect gameplay. While technical complaints are common in esports, the coach’s aggressive delivery crossed professional boundaries.
“This organization needs to witness firsthand how their servers perform under competitive conditions,” Sizz declared during his emotional outburst. His extended tirade included multiple expletives directed at both individual employees and the company as a whole.
Esports professionals note that while technical frustrations are valid, public handling requires more diplomacy. “Coaches set the tone for their teams,” notes veteran esports analyst Mark Donovan. “There’s a line between criticism and unprofessional conduct that affects the entire ecosystem.”
Competition Fallout
Rocket League Esports enforced its code of conduct on June 7, banning Sizz specifically from coaching during the critical semifinal match. The organization stated: “We take coach behavior extremely seriously” when announcing the disciplinary action.
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NRG players and fans have shown support for Sizz, with star player GarrettG introducing a humorous “stand-in coach” via Twitter. The team posted a doctored image suggesting Sizz would disguise himself to attend, demonstrating their camaraderie despite the controversy.
Due to the temporary ban of our coach for the semis of the championship, I would like to give a warm welcome to temporary stand-in le sízz. Welcome. pic.twitter.com/XKD1FnCDTd
— GarrettG (@GarrettG) June 7, 2021
The incident highlights growing tensions between esports professionals and game developers regarding competitive infrastructure. As one anonymous coach noted: “We need better channels for constructive feedback that don’t involve public meltdowns or career-jeopardizing outbursts.”
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