SoNNeikO approached with only good intentions

Captain of AVULUS, Akbar "SoNNeikO" Butaev, published a statement in which he shared his version of events that occurred at PGL Wallachia Season 2.

He clarified what had transpired, explaining that he had been inactive for six months and returned three months ago, acknowledging that Dota and its dynamics may have changed significantly during his time away. He often plays public matches and noted that around 70% of players were muted, hinting at the reasons for this. He mentioned that Ammar was on his friends list, allowing him to see his messages, and recalled an incident in one game where Ammar referred to him as "braindead." This upset him, prompting him to message Ammar on Twitter, stating that he would teach him some manners upon meeting. He admitted that he had acted emotionally and apologised for his tone and wording, clarifying that he did not threaten him physically and attached screenshots of their conversation for clarity.

At the hotel, he encountered Ammar with his team. Both being Muslims, he felt it was important to speak with him as their faith upholds certain norms of respect and morality. SoNNeikO approached Ammar with a smile and a friendly vibe, placing his hand on Ammar’s shoulder in a friendly manner and asking, "Do you remember what caused our conflict? Do you remember what you said to me?" The response shocked him: "Yes, I remember, you’re braindead." He expressed his surprise, having expected an explanation or an apology. 

He found the provocative behaviour of Ammar's teammates shocking as they began defending Ammar, sensing the negative vibe without attempting to understand the situation. Skiter was the most vocal in defending Ammar, and SoNNeikO requested a moment to speak with Ammar privately to resolve things calmly. He acknowledged that this could have been interpreted as an invitation to fight, but his intention was purely to talk.

In response, Ammar began shouting, "Hit me, come on, hit me right here," while Skiter escalated the situation by calling him derogatory names and encouraging a fight. The conflict unexpectedly escalated, leading to SoNNeikO’s team intervening to pull him aside, and they subsequently left the scene.

He stated that the incident stemmed from a misunderstood friendly gesture when he placed his hand on Ammar’s shoulder. The escalation was not in his interest, and his teammates intervened to prevent unnecessary conflict.

Later, he managed to have a brief conversation with the Falcons’ manager, describing him as a pleasant and reasonable professional who seemed eager to resolve and conclude the conflict. SoNNeikO expressed his intention to speak with him after the game to explain the situation, but the organisation advised against contacting anyone from Falcons. He followed this advice, believing they would be able to discuss everything thoroughly after the match. However, this did not happen.

Following this, Team Falcons reported to the organisers that he had allegedly threatened Ammar with physical harm, which he denied. He expressed confidence that PGL would have camera footage showing that no threats were made—neither verbal nor provocative. The only physical contact was his hand on Ammar’s shoulder. He expressed regret if this was perceived as an act of aggression, reiterating his true intentions.

He was punished with a -110 second penalty for his team, and the administrator asked them to ignore the situation to avoid further complications.

Before the match with Falcons, he encountered Skiter in the restroom, where he initially did not understand Skiter's comments and recognised them as further insults. He asked Skiter to follow him and went to his team's room. Skiter followed, and they encountered a PGL representative. He showed that the agreement to ignore each other was being violated not by him, but by Skiter. In response, Skiter began to insult both the PGL representative and his teammate Smiley Knight.

He questioned where the line should be drawn, wondering when it became acceptable for players to speak freely and insult their opponents without consequence. He highlighted the inconsistency in sanctions, noting that some players faced repercussions for their behaviour while others did not. He emphasised the importance of applying rules equally if they were genuinely committed to fair play and respect in tournaments.

SoNNeikO felt that the situation had been blown out of proportion, stating that had he and Ammar spoken privately, they could have resolved the issue quickly and parted on good terms. He reiterated that he had approached Ammar with only good intentions, and while he regretted the outcome, he could not change what had happened. In the future, he expressed his intent to resolve such matters through team managers to ensure a calmer environment.

Reflecting on a past incident in 2022, he recounted a disagreement with Smiley Knight, which had been resolved almost immediately after they discussed it, demonstrating that conflicts could be settled with open communication.

He expressed his astonishment that an organisation from a country where human rights are protected under Sharia law would ignore or condone inappropriate behaviour from its player, the only Muslim on the team. He stressed that this is not the example that should be set and suggested it might be time to reconsider how players communicate with each other in esports and what this reflects about them as professionals.

He lamented the penalty and the inability to play Dota on equal terms, but he did not blame PGL administrators for their decision, recognising they were doing their jobs and made a reasonable call. He expressed hope that they would meet Falcons again under better conditions, allowing them to play fair Dota. He concluded by stating that they would see who would emerge stronger.

Earlier, the esports organisation Falcons released an official statement regarding the incident involving Akbar "SoNNeikO" Butaev and Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf at PGL Wallachia Season 2.