Honda has officially ended its six-year sponsorship deal with Team Liquid after encountering a serious controversy. The issue started when Team Liquid’s Rainbow Six Siege player, Lucas “DiasLucasBr” Dias, shared a GIF displaying nuclear activity on social media after a match against Japanese team CAG Osaka.
Many people thought the post was disrespectful, which led to public backlash. As a result, Honda decided to cut ties with the team, marking one of the biggest sponsorship losses in esports.
Why Honda Ended Its Six-Year Sponsorship with Team Liquid?
Honda partnered with Team Liquid in 2019 and later became the title sponsor for its League of Legends and Academy teams. This partnership was considered a major step for non-gaming brands entering the esports world.
However, after a May 13 loss to CAG Osaka in the RE:L0:AD 2025 tournament, DiasLucasBr shared a GIF of a nuclear explosion — later identified as a clip from a BBC documentary about the Hiroshima bombing. The Japanese audience and global community quickly criticized the post, calling it offensive and inappropriate.
Although the player later apologized, Honda stated the post violated its core values, especially its principle of “Respect for Humanity.” In an official statement, American Honda Motor Co. said the incident did not align with the company’s principles and announced an immediate termination of its sponsorship deal with Team Liquid.
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Team Liquid’s Reaction and Disciplinary Measures
Team Liquid spoke out on May 19, four days after DiasLucasBr apologized. They said the player didn’t mean to offend anyone and posted the GIF in an emotional moment after a hard loss. But they also admitted it was a bad mistake that caused harm.
Hey everyone. 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. From the bottom of my heart It was never my intention to make any offensive reference, but…
— Liquid Dias (@DiasLucasR6) May 15, 2025
To fix the situation, Team Liquid took these steps:
- Fined DiasLucasBr the equivalent of four months’ salary.
- Implemented mandatory media and sensitivity training for all players and coaches.
- Donated all RE:L0:AD prize winnings ($12,000) and the player’s fine to charity.
- Included the incident as a case study in onboarding materials.
Co-founder Victor Goossens defended the decision to keep DiasLucas on the roster, stating, “We believe in accountability, but also in fairness and context.”
I want to sincerely apologize for the offense and hurt caused by this situation. It is deeply regrettable, and I want to emphasize that we take it seriously.
But I also want to say this clearly. What happened was a mistake, not malice. Dias is a young player who searched “bomba… https://t.co/y74t5RZlwe
— Victor Goossens (@LiquidNazgul) May 19, 2025
Financial and Reputational Impact on Team Liquid
The controversy has hit Team Liquid both financially and reputationally. Industry insiders estimate the Honda sponsorship was worth $3 to $6 million annually – a major financial pillar for Team Liquid.
With Honda now out of its sponsor portfolio, Team Liquid has nine remaining partners. The organization recently signed a new deal with the card-based game ‘Wildcard’ in April, showing resilience and efforts to diversify its partnerships.
Even after the setback, Team Liquid showed it still cares about its community. They newly started pride month activities and kept taking part in esports events around the world.
Lessons for Esports: The Cost of Online Misconduct
This incident serves as a wake-up call for the esports world. In an era where a single tweet can cost millions, teams must take player conduct and brand alignment seriously.
Sponsors like Honda, who come from outside the gaming world, add a lot of value to esports. But they also expect players and teams to act professionally and respect different cultures. This situation shows that teams need better rules, training about global issues, and clear guidelines for how players use social media.
As esports continues to grow, teams must invest in training and clear policies to avoid mistakes like this and keep the trust of fans and sponsors.
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