MLG suspends Call of Duty star Patrick 'Aches' Price due to 'repeated harassment'

As pro gaming becomes more mainstream, game studios and e-Sports organisations are making more concerted efforts to clean up the sport's image. Case in point is the suspension of Patrick 'Aches' Price from four MLG CoD Pro League Matches, as well as the NA 2K Tournament. Aches is part of the renown Evil Geniuses team, and is known for his combative and outspoken personality. Evil Geniuses boasts endorsements and sponsorships from the likes of Razer, BenQ and Monster Energy drinks, among others.

While the statement does not specify why Aches has been suspended, it's likely related to his objection with the MLG rule which states that MLG coordinated matches and tournaments must broadcast exclusively on MLG.tv. In a fiery Twitter missive last May, Aches had this to say on the topic: "It's simply just MLG being vindictive, power-hungry, spineless, manipulative, and probably a tad upset we told them to fuck off."

Indeed, MLG's statement does make reference to the organisation's stance on streaming: "we fully support Patrick's right to stream on another platform, however, our rules will continue to prohibit streaming the MLG CoD Pro League and Pro Points Tournaments outside of MLG.tv."

It follows the banning last month of two League of Legends Challenger Series players due to " extreme toxicity ".

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Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.