A Twitch streamer has been removed from a $40,000 (£31,600.00) Marvel Rivals creator tournament after an explosive dispute over team communication and hero choices, reigniting debate around competitiveness, toxicity and expectations in influencer-led esports events.
Kingsman265, a Marvel Rivals streamer, claims he was kicked from the Deadpool Creator Cup following repeated clashes with teammates over strategy and hero selection. The tournament, hosted by BasimZB and featuring 48 creators, offered $18,000 (£14,220.00) to the winning team, a sum Kingsman265 described as potentially life-changing.
What began as a disagreement over one teammate's insistence on playing Black Widow, a hero widely viewed as off-meta, spiralled into a broader argument about effort, leadership and respect.
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While the event was designed as an entertainment-first creator showcase, Kingsman265 approached it with a competitive mindset, believing a strong showing could transform his streaming career.
Clashing Mentalities Inside The Deadpool Creator Cup
The controversy has since split the Marvel Rivals community, with accusations of over-competitiveness on one side and claims of unprofessional conduct on the other, raising questions about where the line should be drawn in high-stakes creator tournaments and eSports in general..
According to Kingsman265's hour-long YouTube breakdown, tensions began during scrims when he urged his team to treat practice like a real match. While initial exchanges were friendly, friction emerged around team composition, particularly as the newly released Deadpool hero threatened to disrupt the existing meta.
One teammate, zazzastack, is known almost exclusively for playing Black Widow and resisted suggestions to switch heroes.
She argued that other teams would likely run unconventional setups, making off-meta choices viable. Kingsman265 disagreed, pushing for more flexible picks and repeatedly questioning whether Black Widow was optimal.
'This is going to be a hard tourney, then,' Kingsman265 said during one heated exchange, as discussions around running a triple support lineup went in circles. Another teammate attempted to mediate, suggesting the team play to individual strengths rather than strict meta theory, but disagreements only intensified.
Notably, Kingsman265 continued playing Magik throughout the arguments, a popular meta DPS choice, leading some viewers to accuse him of hypocrisy for demanding flexibility from others while refusing to switch himself.
Midway through the scrims, Kingsman265 abandoned practice entirely and queued for ranked matches, venting his frustration on stream. In an emotional moment, he explained why the prize money mattered so deeply to him.
'I need that money, I'm f*cking broke,' he said. '$3k (£2,370.00) or $40k (£31,600.00) split across the team is a lot of money for me. I could really use that to help pay my college.'
Shortly afterwards, he was informed by tournament organiser BasimZB that he had been removed from the event. Addressing the decision on his own Twitch stream, Basim said the choice was based on reviewing clips and VODs from multiple perspectives.
'This is my decision,' Basim said. 'There's a level of respect you need to have amongst your teammates and staff. This is a creator event.'
Basim added that while competitiveness is understandable, those seeking 'pure competitiveness' should pursue professional eSports rather than creator cups.
Fallout, Fan Backlash And Unresolved Questions
The decision immediately sparked backlash, with viewers questioning whether Kingsman265 was punished for caring too much about winning.
Ironically, many teams in the tournament ultimately ran triple support compositions, validating some of his concerns. zazzastack's team finished seventh out of eight, winning just one of nine matches, while also battling severe latency issues.
zazzastack later switched off Black Widow during the tournament and defended her team's performance, arguing matches were closer than results suggested. She also claimed Kingsman265's video omitted moments where he 'sh*t-talked' teammates, presenting an incomplete picture. She also posted on X, talking about the entire situation.
I’m sorry I failed to realize that I need to take proper accountability on here as well. Many of you saw my replies and they were defensive, deflecting, and argumentative. I was busy fighting to defend myself and I’ve deleted them now because I realized what you guys really…
— Cece (@cecefps) January 20, 2026
Despite Kingsman265 urging fans not to harass her, zazzastack says she has been inundated with hateful messages and Twitch subscriptions used solely to post abuse. 'The hate has been overwhelming and unfair,' she said.
The saga has become emblematic of wider frustrations within Marvel Rivals, particularly around ranked play, communication breakdowns and perceived toxicity. Whether Kingsman265's removal was justified or excessive remains hotly debated, but the incident has exposed the fragile balance between entertainment and competition in modern creator tournaments.
