Despite having the CWL Pro League’s best record heading into the month-long break, Gen.G has benched Michael “SpaceLy” Schmale, the player announced via Twitter earlier today.
SpaceLy is still under contract with Gen.G, which means his contract will need to be loaned, acquired by another organization, or bought out in order for him to play for another team. He didn’t mention who would be replacing him on Gen.G’s roster, or if the team had any additional lineup changes planned.
Due to Gen.G’s strong start to the CWL Pro League, the move is surprising to many other players and fans in the competitive community. Gen.G are in first place out of eight teams in Division A after winning six of their first seven matches, which included victories over OpTic Gaming, Luminosity, and Red Reserve.
SpaceLy did reveal via another tweet, however, that he “stopped seeing eye-to-eye” and that there was “minimum respect” for his opinion on the team, which makes it all that more impressive that the team started off so strong in the league. He also said that he could’ve prevented this if he hadn’t “extended a hand,” presumably by agreeing to play with a certain player early in Black Ops 4.
SpaceLy, as well as Michael “MajorManiak” Szymaniak, Jared “Nagafen” Harrell, Colt “Havok” McLendon, and Chance “Maux” Moncivaez, played under the Str8 Rippin and Team Space names before signing with Gen.G on Jan. 31.
Luckily for SpaceLy, his success with Gen.G and his preparation will likely be recognized by other league teams. This may help him land back on a high-profile team before CWL Fort Worth, which begins on March 15.