Riot Games has officially suspended Preston “Juv3nile” Dornon — head coach of Global Esports — from all Valorant competitions for 12 months due to violations of the esports code of conduct. The ban, announced on April 4, will keep him out of all Riot-sanctioned events until April 2026.
The decision comes after multiple women came forward in March 2025, sharing screenshots of unwanted, inappropriate messages from Juv3nile. The leaked DMs, which circulated widely across Twitter and esports forums, showed a pattern of repeated advances — some sexual in nature — despite getting no replies from the recipients.
Riot’s official ruling didn’t mince words. Alongside the suspension, Juv3nile is required to complete executive training focused on conduct, respect, and professionalism. Here is what the ruling read:
“After careful consideration of the matter, Juv3nile will be suspended from all Riot-sanctioned esports competitions for 12 months starting today, 4 April 2025, and will be required to complete an executive training focused on conduct, respect, and professionalism.”
“Esports professionals in our affiliated teams play an important role in representing our sport to the community, so we hold our players and coaches to a high professional standard both on and off the stage. In particular, coaches and any individuals in positions of authority within the Riot Games Esports ecosystem may be held to a higher standard of conduct given their influence in fostering and maintaining a positive environment. We appreciate your support as we focus on building a welcoming ecosystem for our community.”
A Brief but Tainted Tenure at Global Esports
Juv3nile had only recently joined Global Esports after a strong 2024 season coaching Leviatán, where he led the team to a VCT Americas Stage 2 victory and a top-three finish at Champions 2024. But his time with Global was short-lived — just one appearance at VCT 2025: Pacific Kickoff, where the team placed 9th–12th.
The scandal gained traction when users responded to discussions about similar accusations involving another coach, sparking a broader outcry. The messages attributed to Juv3nile included everything from awkward flirtation to explicit sexual comments, including offers to fly women out to meet him in person — many of whom were reportedly in their late teens or early 20s.
One particularly disturbing message read:
“i gotchu, lets duo so I can start to gas light you, then I fly you in irl to watch us at riot arena.”
no bc why has he been doing this for so long… https://t.co/iln7hFjVK6 pic.twitter.com/o9mJa1p8QM
— skiz (@xoskizzy) March 20, 2025
Is it like a requirement for coaches to be weird? https://t.co/b10J5ulApT pic.twitter.com/DuhCJBMPvU
— 🦷🪰 (@kittycatjumping) March 19, 2025
Community and Team Response
The Valorant community responded quickly, calling out the inappropriate behavior and demanding accountability. Global Esports backed Riot’s decision in a public statement:
“At Global Esports, we believe that accountability and integrity are non-negotiable. No matter how difficult or unfortunate a situation may be, the standards of conduct and professionalism — both inside and outside the game — must be upheld at all times.”
Assistant coach Donnie “Elevated” Chell has since taken over the head coaching role. In a personal statement, he addressed the situation:
“It’s a very unfortunate situation where one person’s poor decisions have impacted many other people. I don’t think he is a bad person deep down, but it’s our responsibility as coaches to set a good example for the young people we lead — inside and outside the game.”
As of now, Juv3nile has remained silent. His social accounts, including Twitter, have been inactive since March 19, shortly after the allegations surfaced.
Riot has promised to release a full competitive ruling soon via its official rulings page.
Reports Highlights Harassment in Game
This is not the first time concerns about inappropriate behavior in the Valorant scene have surfaced. A previous report by Offenburg University in Germany highlighted patterns of sexual harassment faced by players—especially women—within the game’s competitive and streaming communities. The suspension of Juv3nile adds another chapter to an ongoing discussion about the need for stronger oversight and cultural reform within Riot’s ecosystem.
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