Riot Games has suspended Global Esports’ head coach Preston ‘Juv3nile’ Dornon from all Riot-affiliated events, including the VCT, for 12 months following a breach of the Global Code of Conduct.
The ruling takes effect immediately, preventing him from participating in the rest of VCT Pacific Stage 1 as well. Along with this, Juv3nile will be required to complete executive training focused on “conduct, respect, and professionalism” before he can return to the competitive scene in 2026.
Riot launched an internal investigation after receiving reports of potential misconduct. While specific details will be published soon, the ruling is allegedly related to inappropriate messages sent by Juv3nile to multiple women.
“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,” Riot Games stated.
“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.”
Global Esports responded with a public statement, expressing full support for Riot’s decision, while highlighting their commitment to maintaining a professional and accountable environment.
“We respect and support Riot’s decision fully. 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, by coaches, staff & players,” Global Esports tweeted.
“Everyone associated with Global Esports and Riot’s ecosystem is expected to meet the highest ethical standards. We are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment across all aspects of our organisation and the VALORANT Champions Tour. We are working internally to ensure the team remains supported during this time.”
The team’s assistant coach Donnie ‘Elevated’ Chell also addressed the issue, expressing disappointment in Juv3nile’s actions and asking fans to continue supporting the players, regardless of the current situation.
He said: “As for Juv3nile, 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.
At the time of writing, Global Esports has not confirmed whether the organisation plans to appoint a new head coach or promote Elevated.
Esports Insider has reached out to the organisation for a comment and will update this article once we receive a response.
Rabia Sayal
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