After an investigation lasting almost a year, Riot Games acquits Ava ‘florescent’ Eugene, at least on the eSports level. The Canadian was previously accused of sexual violence.
Riot Games exonerates Ava ‘florescent’ Eugene after months of investigation. The Valorant developer found no violations of its own Esports Global Code of Conduct. The former VCT player was confronted with serious allegations of sexual violence in May 2025.
In a statement on X, Riot speaks of a “personal matter” and points to a lack of evidence of a breach of the rules. Eugene therefore remains eligible to play in all Riot competitions.
Tears of joy emoji instead of statement
Eugene retired from professional eSports back in April 2025. However, she never ruled out a comeback. The Canadian had previously defended her Gamechangers title and switched to the European team Apeks. However, a winless split was followed by a quick departure.
Eugene cited personal and family emergencies as well as the additional pressure of moving to Germany as reasons. Since then, she has been streaming on Twitch and only occasionally competes in semi-professional tournaments. She responded to the allegations in a 13-page document and denied all accusations of sexual violence. She was 18 years old at the time of the allegations.
About an hour after the new Riot statement, Eugene posted an emoji with tears of joy on her account. There was no more detailed reaction to this – the connection is nevertheless obvious and was at least indirectly confirmed by her.
Comparisons to ‘Sinatraa’ in the community
With this decision, Riot Games is once again confronted with comparisons to the case of Jay ‘Sinatraa’ Won. While ‘florescent’ was allowed to return without a ban, Won was banned for six months in 2021.
Back then, Riot justified the punishment with a lack of cooperation – an accusation that Won denies to this day. In both cases, the central question remained unanswered. The publisher was unable to provide a conclusive answer to the original allegations, either then or now.
The current case is made even more explosive by Eugene’s role in the scene. As one of the most visible trans-feminine personalities in Valorant eSports and the first female player in the VCT, the debate has long gone beyond the accusations.