The Los Angeles Valiant have come under fire for using offensive terminology in a now-deleted tweet. The tweet, which followed a promotional post connected to the team’s recent Kit Kat partnership, teased fans for being “triggered” by a video of Valiant players and staff taking bites directly out of Kit Kat bars (that is, without breaking them into segments first).









The controversy erupted only minutes after the initial tweet, when former Washington Justice assistant GM Kate Mitchell sent out a scathing criticism of the Valiant’s choice to use language that mocked the struggles of individuals who have suffered trauma.









Mitchell’s disappointment was shared by a number of other Overwatch League fans, who quickly jumped into the replies to voice their agreement (and offered a useful alternative).









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Another Twitter user pointed out the fact that the Valiant recently lost their social media team.









Whichever intern put together the Valiant’s controversial tweet can take some solace from the fact that their gaffe is only the latest in the sporting world’s long line of social media disasters. After all, the Valiant’s “triggered” tweet is far less embarrassing than the Baltimore Ravens’ decision to send out this bizarre image of Queen Elizabeth.









And in terms of offensive content, the Valiant have nothing on the Arizona Diamondbacks’ infamous “KKK tweet” from a couple years back.





In the past, Kate Mitchell was a focal point of controversy within the Overwatch community, resigning from her position with Washington Justice last month due to issues with stress and online harassment. Putting herself back in the public eye by criticizing a popular OWL team was a risk for Mitchell, but the reaction to her post—and the ensuing deletion of the Valiant’s tweet—is evidence that many Overwatch fans share her discomfort with the team's language.