A social media post from one of Team Liquid’s Rainbow Six Siege players led to unexpected backlash and lasting consequences for the organisation.
Team Liquid have confirmed that their six-year partnership with Japanese automotive brand Honda has come to an end following a controversial social media post by their Rainbow Six player Lucas “DiasLucasBr” Dias. The announcement came as part of a wider organisational response after backlash stemming from Liquid’s loss to CAG Osaka at the R6 RELOAD tournament.
In the aftermath of the match, DiasLucasBr posted a now-deleted GIF on X (formerly Twitter) showing a nuclear bomb exploding. The player claimed this was to express how the team “blew up” during the game. However, many people, particularly within the Japanese community, interpreted the GIF as a reference to the atomic bombings of Japan during World War II. The tweet sparked immediate criticism online, and has now led to serious consqeuences to both the player and the organisation.
DiasLucasBr issues an apology
Soon after deleting the said tweet, DiasLucasBr posted an apology on X on 15 May:
In the tweet, he admitted that he “made a big mistake using that GIF (referring to the bomb explosion gif)”, saying that this may have caused some “discomfort to many people.” He also said that it was never his intention to do so, but “recognize that the context and choice were inappropriate.”
“I especially want to apologize to Japanese fans, including those living in Brazil and Japan,” he added, noting the importance of the Japanese community in the country, and once again emphasising that he “should have been more mindful and responsible.”
On top of that, LucasDiasBr mentioned that he also apologised directly to the CAG players and will continue to reflect on his mistake.
LucasDiasBr ended the post by once again apologising, but also promising to “be a more respectful and mindful player, both in and out of the server.”
Liquid issues public apology, confirm loss of Honda partnership
Team Liquid addressed the issue publicly by posting an apology on social media and their official website:
In the statement, they said that while the post was “offensive and insensitive,” there was “no malicious intent, only a very serious lapse in judgment and awareness.” DiasLucasBr personally apologised to CAG Osaka, who reportedly accepted the apology and viewed the tweet as a mistake rather than a deliberate insult.
In addition to disciplinary action, including a fine equivalent to four months’ salary and mandatory media and sensitivity training for DiasLucasBr, Team Liquid confirmed that the entire Rainbow Six squad will donate their prize winnings from the tournament to charity.
The organisation also plans to introduce a six-month re-training programme for all players and staff across its titles, using this incident as a case study during onboarding.
However, the most significant fallout has come in the form of sponsorship loss. “Due to the controversy generated by this incident, our automotive partner Honda Motors has made the decision not to renew our partnership,” Team Liquid stated. “Although we regret this outcome, we understand and respect the decision, and extend our thanks to Honda Motors for having been good partners for six years.”
Team Liquid concluded their statement by addressing the wider community: “To our fans in Japan and the Japanese esports community, we fully understand how this post was disrespectful and hurtful to you. We want to express our sincere regrets and apology that we made you feel this way.”
The organisation committed to rebuilding trust through actions and ongoing accountability.
Team Liquid founder defends LucasDiasBr
Team Liquid founder Victor Goossens has issued a personal statement on X addressing the controversyIn the statement, Goossens reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to accountability while defending the context behind the now-deleted tweet that sparked widespread backlash.
“What happened was a mistake, not malice,” Goossens wrote. “Dias is a young player who searched ‘bomba caindo,’ Portuguese for ‘falling bomb,’ to express how the team blew up in the match. The image he chose was thoughtless, but there was no hateful intent behind it. That context matters.”
Goossens pushed back on the narrative that the GIF used could only be found through targeted, offensive search terms, stating that the image in question appeared under generic keywords like “explosion” and “bomb,” and had been widely used online. He described the reaction calling for DiasLucas’s removal as an “effort to rewrite his intent, escalate outrage, and demand terminations,” which he called “painful to witness.”
The Liquid founder acknowledged the hurt caused by the post but stood firmly behind his player: “We have taken action, and we believe in accountability. But we also believe in fairness and context… This kid deserves to play.”
Goossens’s response echoes Team Liquid’s broader stance that while the post was inappropriate and required disciplinary measures, it did not cross the line into malicious intent—underscoring the decision not to remove DiasLucasBr from the roster.
